The Truth of Souls
by Fallen Sky Singer
Summary: The Sequel of The Truth of Hearts, Times are changing, a new face to the 4077th brings a new challenge to Hawkeye and Sara, will they be able to hold on to hope or will secrets and memories destroy their lives?
1. There once was a girl

A/N- Im back! With a promised sequel! It might take a bit of time to get into the main plot because it isn't fully organized in my head yet... then again... many things aren't ;) If you have any suggestions for things to happen you can add me to your msn (TifaRules87hotmail.com) Or AIM (TifaRules88) (Don't ask about the names, long story)

Disclaimer: Despite my best efforts I don't own any of the characters (Except Sara) And my parol officer says I have to stop trying because it just isn't going to happen.... shows what he knows Plots evilly as you all know I do quite well and for those of you just joining us here in readers theater, check out the first "The Truth of Hearts" to understand whats going on.

A young girl, maybe fourteen years old, with long curly brown hair, fell down onto her cot and stared up at the green mesh ceiling, She sighed irritably and wondered why on earth she had decided to stay in what was generally a large hole in the ground filled with mud and slime.

'Attention all personnel,' a voice said over the intercom system, 'There will be a birthday party for Colonel Blake tomorrow night in the mess tent. The Swamp will be supplying drinks-.'

_'I knew it!'_ The girl thought with good humour.

'- and Major Houlihan will be supplying the birthday cake. A reminder, the OR is open 24/7.'

"Hey." A male voice from the doorway of the tent erupted into her thoughts, "You ran out of the OR pretty fast, feeling okay?"

The girl smiled weakly, "Bit ill, just a bit of food poisoning I'm sure."

"You know," the man said, "I keep telling you, keep eating the stuff, eventually you build up an immunity."

"Isn't it possible for the filth to mutate into something beyond our control?"

"What, like The Swamp?"

"Oh that isn't beyond our control," The girl said with a smile, "You just choose to keep it this way."

"True." The man brushed back his black hair, small amounts of grey had become obvious despite his young age, he had clearly seen pain and hardships. "Listen, I have to go back to the OR, you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine Hawk," The girl said with a weak chuckle, "Go play doctor..."

"Oh I wi-."

"But not with the nurses!" The girl said before giving the man a chance to reply.

"You're no fun, you know that Sara?"

"I know, just you wait, once all the hullabaloo has died down we'll empty a bed pan into Frank's boot,"

"Glad to see you've kept at least a small amount of your plotting." The man, Hawkeye turned on heel and left The Swamp with a broad grin.

Sara smiled to herself and lay back down on her cot, it had been just over a year since she had arrived at the 4077th MASH unit, she fallen into regular routine, this of course involved Practical jokes on the local nauseating prat major Frank Burns, Hawkeye, her adoptive father and his best friend Trapper teaching her to drink (_'No more of this non-alcoholic stuff, you'll never grow an immunity to Korea if you don't have a blood alcohol level of at least 0.9')_ and of course, Sara being a nurse and right hand to both the surgeons.

Her mother and Father were dead, she had been nearly forced to go back to the US where her abusive godparents were trying to swindle the orphan out of her family money. It was by sheer luck and love that she had been sent to the 4077th when a village she had been staying at was attacked. And it was by the same sheer luck that she had been accepted by everyone (That was of course not Counting Frank Burns) and been allowed to stay. Hawkeye had grown fond of her very quickly and decided that he would actually do something right in his life and adopt her. Probably the most difficult decision he would ever make, besides, The nurses liked family men.

Sara's bones ached in an indescribable way, she was certain that she was just coming down his a cold and it would disappear after she was forced a martini at the officers club. The young girl couldn't understand her fathers obsession with the drink but learned swiftly after arriving at the MASH that some of his best moments came from when he was murdering his brain cells.

Of course Trapper, trusty worthy, good friend, great-shoulder-to-lean-on-as-long-as-there-isn't-a-nurse-attached-there-first-Trapper, would never ever let his friend do something stupid... Well, nothing stupid that would cause permanent bodily harm.

And of course Frank Burns, the irritating mong of an officer who was constantly bugging Henry Blake to get rid of the girl, still shared a tent with the girl, her father and his friend, or more, she still shared a tent with him. It was no surprise that Frank was the butt of all the jokes in the camp, his notorious reputation for malpractice exceeded him far beyond anyone else's standards, mostly because when it came to Malpractice the only standard was a bad one.

It was October, the weather was growing colder by the day, October always meant Part One of Flu season and Sara prayed that she wasn't coming down with something, she still had horrible memories of the last time she was sick. Most of them were dreams involving blue goblins dancing in The Swamp and cleaning things up... Very strange, very creepy and very much something she didn't wish to experience again.

It seemed like she had closed her eyes for just a minute when in came Trapper and Hawkeye, desperately trying to blow warm air into their partially numb hands.

"Someone should tell those guys that bullets are dangerous to play with," Trapper stated plainly, "Someone could get hurt."

"I vote we take away their guns and give them sticks and stones." Hawkeye muttered.

"Better yet, words." Trapper finished, He and Hawkeye were of course well known for their antics around the camp. "Think about it, the most we would have to do would be give the guy a thesaurus and tell him to look up something for "stupid-head"."

"Poor Frank," Hawkeye said with sarcasm, "He would go through the thesauruses like crazy."

"We'd have to buy him a little one so he could carry it around in his pocket every where he went."

"Or better yet," Sara said from her cot, "Staple random insults to his forehead."

"No, I don't think Hot lips would like that." Hawkeye said, making reference to Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan, an army from the day she was born. "It would interfere with his good looks and charm."

"Or lack there of."

"You know I'm standing right here." They turned to see Frank Burns standing in the doorway of The Swamp, his upper lip thrust inwards and a hurt look on his face. "Why do you guys have to be so mean to me? You're setting such a bad example for her." He thrust a finger in Sara's direction as she put on her most innocent look.

It always amused her that no matter what she said behind Frank's back or to his face, he somehow continued with the idea that she was a very innocent little girl and would be horribly and brutally effected by every word and action of Hawkeye and Trapper.

This of course was a lie.

She wasn't horribly effected, in fact, it was rather fun.

'Attention all personnel,' Another voice over the intercom, 'More incoming wounded, day shift to the OR at once, Dinner today is ravioli in a chunky mushroom sauce....'

Sara muttered "Urgh, I think I just lost my appetite." That was a lie, she didn't have her appetite before the announcement, in fact, she felt like doing very little.

"Alright, back to the breeches once more good friends." Trapper said swiftly, "yes, even you Frank."

"Hey Sara, you don't look good," Hawkeye said as his eyes darkened with fear, "Stay here okay?"

She nodded, "Okay, I'll see you guys later in the mess tent."

Hawkeye hugged her swiftly before following Trapper and Frank out of the tent. But she wouldn't be in the mess tent later, she felt woozy and her stomach churned with emptiness, darkness pooled over her as she fell back into the wool sheet of her cot.

A/N- There you have it, a fairly good beginning if I do say so myself.


	2. And some surgeons

"Scalpel"

Ginger slapped the instrument firmly into Henry Blake's outstretched hand.

"Man, this kid looks like he swallowed a bucket of shells for dinner." he muttered bitterly.

"And had a side order or infection to follow," Trapper said, "We'd better get him closed soon Henry, Clamp."

"Clamp."

"How's Sara, Pierce?"

Hawkeye, who was wrist deep in someone else's organs, accepted the lap sponge handed to him, "She's getting the flu bug I think... I'm sure she'll be fine if she gets a little rest, suction... Damn I can't see a thing in here, this guy's insides looks like the latrines after Sunday dinner."

"Can we have some quiet in here?" Frank Burns snapped from the far end of the operating room, "It's like trying to operate in an active mine field."

"That's a good thought Frank," Hawkeye said, "Henry, permission to put Frank out in the mine field."

"Fine with me..." Henry muttered.

"Colonel!"

"Ah relax Burns," Henry said in annoyance, "You know they're just joking around."

"Well this is an operating room!" Frank snapped.

"Could have fooled me," Hawkeye said, "When did this become an operating room? Why am I holding this scalpel? Where's my watch?"

"Oh, very mature." Frank said, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Retractor," Hawkeye said with a small smile, "Alright, let's close this one up Kellye, Radar, how many more do we have out there?"

"At least five more, HQ Seoul says we should be expecting more allied casualties in the next 72 hours." Radar replied with his clipboard in hand as he stood behind a white curtain.

"Major Houlihan," one of the nurses approached Margaret who was assisting Henry and Trapper, "We're running low on whole blood and 4-0 silk."

"Honestly," Hot Lips scoffed, "Who was in charge of ordering supplies last?"

Hawkeye rolled his eyes as the next bloodied body was rolled in on a Gurney, the man before him was no older than eighteen, a child really.

"God, this kid should be back home trying to get rid of his acne, not fighting a war..." He muttered sadly, "When are they going to learn?"

"When they watch one of their childhood friends die before them," Henry replied sadly from behind his patient, "The young ones always think they're invincible, nothing can harm them as long as they have their rifle."

"I'd hate to see what would happen to them without their rifles then," Trapper said, "Clamp this Ginger, looks like we've just about gotten all the fragments out of him."

"Looks like I'm going to be at this a while," Hawkeye muttered, "Hey Henry, might need your magic fingers when you're done over there."

"As long as I get them back eventually," Henry said in reply, "Can you finish up McIntyre?"

"Sure Henry! You know I can, I just wish I knew where my wedding ring had gotten to..."

The commander and chief rolled his eyes and quickly exchanged his rubber gloves as he moved over to Hawkeye's Gurney where he was beginning to open up the young man. The hours swiftly passed by the young surgeons, Hawkeye and Henry continued to struggle keeping the young man alive, eventually the pre-op cleared out and Radar announced that no more casualties were coming and they could probably take a break.

"Hey Trap,"

"Yeah yeah."

"Go back to the Swamp and see if Sara's okay," Hawkeye said, "She looked fairly sick, knowing her she probably hasn't don't a thing to take care of herself."

"Feed her a martini?"

"If she can take one, if not get her to lay down, check her temp, things like that." Hawkeye said as he pulled another shard of metal out of the young man.

"Sure thing Hawk, you do of course realize this mean I own your soul," Trapper said with an evil grin.

"Better than my body," Hawkeye retorted, "I don't trust you."

Trapper chuckled and walked out of the OR, he pulled his green army jacket closer around his shoulders. A bitter wind showed it's self in the camp as the night sky above became clouded over with silver grey wisps of haze. He quickly side stepped a mud puddle as he walked towards The Swamp. Inside the tent he could see the single lamp swing to and fro aimlessly, There was no sign of Frank, he had disappeared from the OR just over an hour ago and was no doubt practising mouth to mouth resuscitation with Hot Lips.

Trapper pushed the door to The Swamp and raced over to Sara's cot on the other side of the tent. She lay motionless on her small bed, her face was pale, her chest moved up and down quickly with an irregular heart beat and right away Trapper knew she had more than the flu.

"Sara?" He whispered, "Come on kiddo, snap out of it."

A slight moan escaped her lips, her eyes fluttered open, "Hey Trapper," she said with a weak grin.

"You okay?" He asked as her helped her sit up slightly.

"I.. I think so...just a bit tired."

"If you were just tired then Frank Burn's keeps dirty magazines under his cot," Trapper scoffed, "You look sick kiddo..."

"It's just the flu, I'm sure," She said quickly in her defence, "A few of the nurses were getting sick too and..."

"Well then we had better get you to the post op ward where the rest of the sickies are heading," He said with a fond smile, "Don't want you fainting on us again."

"Oh I didn't faint!" Sara snapped angrily as she sat up, there was a brief pause before she put her head down, "Urgh, let's go then..."

Trapper smiled fondly at her, "Put on your jacket, it's cold out there." But inside something troubled him as he watched his best friends daughter grapple the darkness for her khaki green coat, she look worse for wear, and if any of the generals found out then she would be sent back to the US and out of Hawkeye's protection.

_'I can't worry either of them,'_ Trapper thought as he let the young girl lean on him, _'not until I'm certain...'_


	3. A night at the Officers Club

"Reenforcements have arrived!" Hawkeye announced proudly as he stepped into the post op ward where several nurses had now joined the wounded on cots. Trapper was sitting a few cots away from Sara whom he had forcible tucked under the itchy woolen covers only a half hour earlier. He stood up and turned to face Hawkeye who held a stethoscope in hand, the same memorable grin on his face.

"Give me ten dollars and I'll give you a full physical."

"Never on the first date." Trapper retorted, "I suppose they couldn't have sent a real doctor?"

"They could have but that would mean filling out the papers to let him out of the looney bin," Hawkeye explained as he slipped the stethoscope around his neck and planted his hands in his white lab coat, suddenly his tone turned serious, "She wasn't at The Swamp."

Trapper nodded, "Uh-huh," He pointed a few cots down where Sara lay sleeping peacefully, "Found her unconscious, most definitely not asleep, I think she's just gotten his hard by the flu, her white count is probably still low from getting shot up. We gave her some penicillin, her fever is pretty high though..."

"Damn..." Hawkeye muttered, "I'll help you out in a second Trap, I just have to talk to her..."

"No worries, I can handle it."

Hawkeye slowly walked over to the foot of his adoptive daughters cot, sweat glistened off of her forehead, her skin was ghostly pale and she seemed to shiver uncontrollably. Hawkeye frowned unhappily as he looked at the clip board holding her stats, it didn't look good. With a sigh he trooped over to the empty cot beside her and sat down, gingerly he pushed back a lock of hair from her face and held her small hand in his own.

"What's happening to you?" He whispered, "You haven't been this sick in a long time..."

He sat there for several minutes, holding hand and subliminally checking her pulse to make sure it stayed relatively the same, but in truth he was waiting... Waiting for her to give out... It had been a struggle just to allow her to stay at the 4077th, even after General Hammond had given his permission they had to face the horror of her being kidnapped and shot and as far as Hawkeye knew, far worse had happened that she wasn't telling him about.

It was almost as if she had a curse set on her, constant bad luck no matter where she went, He had already operated on her twice, Hawkeye wondered how many more times it would be before her organs were replaced by large shells and her blood became molten bullets.

"Hawk?"

"Hm?" He looked up to see Trapper standing over him.

"You've been sitting there for an hour dad, come on, I'll buy you a drink at the officers club."

"Alright," Hawkeye said as he stood up, "But only until Im drunk enough to forget this pain, Im not allowed to have angst, doctors orders."

"You're a doctor." Trapper said as they walked out of the post-op ward.

"And I order myself not to by angsty."

As they stepped inside the Officers Club, the soft sound of low jazz floated from the juke box into their ears. Frank and Margaret were sitting at one of the tables placed in the far corner of the club, whispering sweet disgusting nothings to each other and feeding each other bar nuts and pretzels. Henry Blake sat at the bar next to a familiar sight, a many dressed in a long red evening gown and bright scarlet heels.

"Henry, we're not interrupting your date are we?" Hawkeye asked as he sat down on one of the stools.

"Date, ha." Corporal Klinger, desperate for a section 8 discharge scoffed. "If I was even lucky enough to get a date with the Colonel, I'd be out of this dump so fast..."

"Forget it Klinger," Henry said as he sipped his beer, "The minute you get a section eight is the minute General Clayton confesses his love for Trapper."

"He won't return my phone calls," Trapper said as he sat down beside Hawkeye and Klinger, "I don't know what's wrong, maybe he doesn't like my personality."

"I'm sure it's your aftershave," Hawkeye said, "I keep telling you, don't use Frank's, he just lets his khaki sweat run into a bottle and leaves it to ferment for a week."

"Oh, you guys and all your hully balooey." Frank said from his corner, erecting his Ferret Face stance.

"Frank, watch your mouth!" Hawkeye said, "There are ladies present!" Margaret's ears perked up.

"Yeah, Tell me Klinger, where did you get that dress?" Trapper asked.

"Mister Kwang, I was a double of your driest martini's," Hawkeye said, "I want it to be a Sahara Desert in my mouth, I want to see little pyramids of sand on the rim, so unwet that if I sneeze I will have to order another one."

"But put it in two glasses," Trapper replied.

"How's the little one doing Pierce?" asked Henry from down the bar, obviously meaning Sara.

Hawkeye could only shrug, "She's gotten hit by the flu pretty bad, I'm sure she'll be alright, just needs rest."

But Trapper gave the Colonel a look as if to say _'Im worried it's more than the flu.'_ Henry must have seen because he obviously didn't continue the topic anymore as he downed the last of his beer. Meanwhile Both Major's Burns and Houlihan had snuck up to the bar and were listening intently.

"You know why she's sick?" Frank demanded heartily.

"No, why Frank?" Hawkeye asked, "Is it because she's in cold, wet Korea 2000 miles from home?"

"Is it because she's scared and feels alone?" Trapper asked.

"Is it because..." Klinger began to say, looking thoughtful, "Nope, I don't have anything."

"It's because..." Frank said smugly, "She's being forced to live in such disgusting conditions with you two uncompassionate perverts, she's relinquished a good life back in the US because you two... stupid heads-." Hawkeye and Trapper exchanged a glance of good humour, "Just because you're too stubborn!"

"Now I resent that Frank," Hawkeye said swiftly, "We are far from uncompassionate."

"Ah but you do admit you're perverts."

"We admit nothing until you pay us the fifty dollars you owe us from last night... honey bunch." Trapper replied.

Frank's lower lip swiftly disappeared, his beady little eyes poked out of his head, "Colonel! Did you hear that?"

"Yes I did Frank," Henry said, "And I think you had it coming, there was no need for such personal remarks towards Sara's upbringing and if either of you have a problem with it then see me in my office in the morning... after my coffee..." Henry's words were swiftly slurring together, he had clearly had to much to drink once more.

"This is outrageous!"

"Oh go finish sewing your khaki American flag, Frank." Hawkeye said angrily as he took a sip of his martini, "She can go home if she wants, she'd rather stay here and that's the way it's been for the last four months, honestly, some people can't adapt to change."

"Which reminds me," Trapper said, "I'm moving in with Hot lips..."

"What?!" Margaret screeched.

"Well I decided our engagement should be back on, besides, Nostrils here snores in his sleep."

"I can't help it," Said Hawkeye with a shrug, "I broke it in a failed attempt at avoiding the draft board."

"Urgh, come on Frank," Margaret said, "**We** have a letter for General Clayton to write."

"Send him our regards!" Hawkeye said cheerily.

"Ask him if he received my late birthday card!" Trapper shouted.

"Ask him if he got the picture of me in my pink slip!" Klinger called out as the two majors left the bar.

Trapper looked at him, "**I** was joking."

"I wasn't," Klinger said with a sly grin.

_'And I want to go home,'_ Hawkeye thought.


	4. Don't worry

She certainly hadn't felt so ill and quite a while, she was cold despite the several army issue green blankets staked up on top of her frail body. Still her mind was a little clearer now, she could concentrate on one thing in across from her or beside her bed and not fall back into an unconscious state, however she was not convinced that her luck would last. Something inside her felt wrong... misplaced, she was so extremely, it was as if she hadn't slept in two weeks, nut that was quite the opposite.

Sara had been in the flu ward for a week and a half, moving in and out of consciousness much to Hawkeye's worry. It had only been in the last two and a half days that she had been able to stay awake and eat a little without throwing it all back up. Her skin was deathly pale according to the nurses, they made her out to sound like some sort of creature that had been dug up after being buried in the ground for thousands or years... honestly, she didn't feel that bad. In fact her strength seemed to be slowly returning, it was the oddest case of flu she had ever experienced in her entire life.

"Hey kiddo," Trapper was standing over her bed, a clipboard in hand and his cheap grin plastered on his face, "How you feeling?"

"A bit better," She replied with a sly smile, "How do I look?"

"Better than you probably feel," He retorted with a playful grin, "You really had us worried there for a while, especially Hawkeye, he's been going crazy."

Sara laughed weakly and fell back into her pillow, "Yeah, I imagine he probably has been, How many martini's?"

"I had to cut him off at 4 per day, it was getting dangerous." Trapper replied, Sara tried to find the light humour in his voice but there was none, Trapper John McIntyre was worried about Hawkeye and now so was Sara.

"Four... a day? You're joking!" She exclaimed.

"I wish," Trapper said ruefully, "He was really worried, can't say I blame him, finding you in a dead faint in the Swamp wasn't the most reassuring thing in the world."

"Oh I did not faint!" The young girl retorted, "I was sleeping."

"Try and try as you might you just can't convince me of that," Trapper said, becoming slightly more cheery, "But as long as you're feeling better... How's the headache?"

"Disappearing as we speak."

"On a scale of one to ten."

"Being..."

Trapper rolled his eyes, " One being an irritating itch at the back of your throat, ten being eaten alive by fire ants while preforming a lobotomy on yourself without anaesthesia."

"Four and a half." Sara replied.

"And that would be..."

"Tripping and falling in gravel and having to pull out rocks embedded in your knee just after a dentist appointment." The youth replied.

"Ah so you are getting better, I'm glad." Trapper scribbled something down on his clipboard before looking up again, "You still look really pale, We're going to keep you here until we can get your temperature down to something reasonable."

"Fair enough," Sara said with a shrug, suddenly turning very calm and quiet, Trapper knew something was on her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not.... Well I mean, It doesn't feel like Flu, Trapper. It's not the same, I feel sort of... wrong."

Trapper furrowed his brow as he sat down on the edge of her small cot, "What do you mean, "wrong"... How so?"

Sara closed her eyes while pondering a way to explain what she meant, it was a difficult task, her mind still was finding it tricky to focus on such an important and odd thing as the feeling roaming inside her body. "It feels like... Im sort of dried out... Like Im just full of a lot of sand inside, when I had the flu last time I felt sick but more wishy washy sick... this is different, this is... wrong."

Trapper frowned, "Well, that might explain why you look so white, you're probably just dehydrated, We can run some tests if you want, you said you were starting to feel better but it might be a good idea..."

"Uh, no thanks. I'll be okay, like you said, it's probably dehydration." Sara replied quickly, knowing that if tests were run Hawkeye would see the results whether she wanted him to or not.

Trapper clearly knew what she was up to, he gave a small smile before speaking, "You know, Hawkeye's worried about you. The tests might be important... he's a doctor, or so I'm told, if the results are abnormal I'm sure he wouldn't freak out."

"You know me too well Trap," Sara said with a sly smile, "But no, If I start feeling crappy again then I'll get some tests done, for now I just want to let it pass and see what happens."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"Ookay,"

"Stop sounding so doubtful!" The young girl snapped, "You're making me nervous."

"Sorry," Trapper chuckled, "Listen, I'll leave you to it, got more beds to check, patients to nurse, Nurses to make patients. You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," she replied, "Just gonna get some more sleep."

"Good, you need it, I'll tell Hawkeye to stop by later so he can confirm you're still alive and kicking with his own two eyes."

"He needs a nurse." Sara said as she closed her eyes, "And badly."

"That's what I tell him, he doesn't listen to me." Trapper said with a grin as he stood up and placed the clipboard once more at the end of the bed, "We'll play match maker with him when you're feeling better."

No reply came from the girl, she was already fast asleep. Trapper smiled sadly and walked over to the nurses station where Houlihan stood, arms crossed in a defensive manor but a pained look on her face.

"How's she doing McIntyre?"

"It's hard to say," Trapper replied in a low whisper, "She says she's feeling better but she still..."

"Looks white as a ghost?"

Trapper nodded, "Exactly."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I'm not sure," Trapper replied and he rubbed his eyes, "I don't know what to do, tell Hawkeye and get him worried or keep it from him..."

"He'd want to know..."

"Yeah, but look what her being sick for a week has done to him."

"Is she going to be alright?" The major asked softly.

"Honestly Margaret..." Trapper said slowly, "I'm not sure.


	5. Soul Searching

A/N- Okay, I owe anyone reading this an apology for not updating sooner, hopefully the updates will be getting longer unfortunately less frequent because Im starting high school and I'll have loads of work. Anyways, hopefully tToS will be full of action, more than tToH was.

"Hey Trap?"

"Yarghrrrrle?"

"Get your head out of your pillow, I have to ask you a question."

"I'm married Hawk."

"I'm serious."

Trapper groaned and rolled over on his hard cot, he had just gotten off duty and didn't feel like answer any questions, in fact, he's have rather caught the next plane back to the USA but Radar wouldn't give him the right forms. "What is it Hawk?"

For a moment Hawkeye didn't speak, he was forming the question properly in his mind, knowing what Trapper's reaction would be... Still he had to ask. "Do ya think I'm a bad father?"

_'3...2...1..'_

"What?!" exclaimed Trapper as he sat up suddenly on his cot, "You? A bad father? Where the heck did you get that idea from? My god... you've been talking to Frank, How many times have I told you, that guy is like a mutant sewer rat!"

"He smells?"

"Yeah... pretty much."

"Not at the top of your game today, are you?" Hawkeye asked with good humour.

"No, not really." Trapper replied with an overly dramatic sigh, "But why would you ask if you were a bad father? You're awesome!"

Hawkeye, who was sitting on the wooden lounge chair, a martini which looked less than loved sort of hanging in his hand, shrugged, "I just don't think I'm the right sort of person to be taking care of a kid Trap, I'm not a family man, not like you, I move around to easily. Imagine when we go back to the states, she'd have a new adoptive mother every two weeks! A kid shouldn't have to live like that."

"No kid should have to live through what she's gone through, but she has because of you." Trapper pointed out, "I don't think questioning your parenthood abilities now is the best idea, what with her being sick..."

"It's the flu," Hawkeye said sternly, "Isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure." Trapper mumbled, "Seriously Hawk, why are you questioning your abilities now, you've both done fine so far, I don't see what either of you accomplish by having you wondering whether or not your any good at what you do half the time. There's nothing you could do about it now anyways..."

"Hawkeye!" Trapper said, suddenly launching upwards even more and staring directly at his old friend, "What are you thinking of doing?"

"Trapper... the papers..."

"No, no way, you're not sending her back to her god parents, no, nyat, never, n-o!" Trapper exclaimed, "Why would you do that? I don't understand!"

"Relax Trap, I'm not sure yet, even if I was to do something like that, I would just send her back to live with my dad until some other arrangements could be made with a better family..."

"Jesus Christ Hawk..." Trapper muttered bitterly, "This is wrong... All of this is wrong, you can't..."

"I'm not sure yet, Trap. We'll see what happens. I just want to give Sara the best life she can have."

"And that's one without you?"

Hawkeye shrugged and sipped his martini, "It's one away from this hell hole, Trapper, we're three miles from the front, if something happened, if she got kidnapped again I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"Hawkeye, she'll be fine here, she's a fighter, that's how she made it this far in the first place...."

"What were her stats last you checked?" Hawkeye quickly changed the subject.

"Erm..." Trapper, being the way he was, became wary of telling Hawkeye what he knew, still he had a right... "Her white count is still over the roof, It's crazy, no way could it be from the bullets... those happened months ago and she's been feeling fine up till just a few weeks ago. Still, she said she was feeling better, its probably just some flu thing."

"I hope you're right Trapper..."

"Why? So you can send her home to the USA? Jesus Christ Hawk..."

"Listen, I don't want to talk about it right now..."

"You never want to talk about it! She's your daughter, you're responsible for her!"

"That's exactly it!" Hawkeye replied angrily, "I'm not the right kind of person to be taking care of someone her age, I know next to nothing about kids, I'm a womanizer, I'm..."

"You need to seriously think about what you're saying and go on duty." Trapper snapped in reply, "And I mean it, you need to give serious thought to what you're saying and go to the ward, there are patients that need to be checked on...including your daughter."

Hawkeye sighed angrily and stood up while grumbling something bitter about Trapper and the lack of support coming from his friend. Without another word to his fellow surgeon, Hawkeye jammed his feet into his boots and stepped out into the cool October wind. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, still his mind considered the options as he walked across the compound and into the post op ward where nurses mingled around checking on patients.

_'To keep or not to keep.'_ He thought with great annoyance, _'I know Trapper's right but she's just not safe here...'_

He sighed and walked over to Sara's bed where the young girl seemed to be sleeping peacefully, she was looking a little better, still obviously pale but her breathing seemed to have evened out and her skin was warmer to the touch than it was only days before.

"Pierce?"

He sighed at the irritating voice behind him before turning, "Yeah Hot lips?"

Margaret glared at him but he didn't notice, standing beside the Head nurse was a young woman, probably in her mid thirties with bright green eyes, full red lips and cinnamon brown hair cut to her shoulders. She smiled at Hawkeye, he felt his heart leap in his chest.

"Pierce, this is Nurse Korton, she's been transferred over from the 1807th, she's on duty today."

Hawkeye, with a dumb grin plastered on his face stood up and shook hands with the young woman, "Nice to meet you..."

"Emma," The woman said with a twinkle in her eye as she shook The gleaming doctors hand.

"Call me Hawkeye," He replied, much to Margaret's vexation, she cleared her throat in an untimely fashion.

"Well, I'll leave you to make your rounds, Korton, can you handle it from here?"

"I'm certain I can major."

"I'll show her the ropes Margaret." Hawkeye replied with a smirk.

"I'm sure you will," The major muttered as she stalked back to the nurses station and disappeared behind a screen.

"Is she always so... Military?" Emma whispered as she watched where Margaret had disappeared.

"You caught her on an off day," Hawkeye said with a playful grin, "she hasn't had a chance to paint her nails khaki today."

Emma chuckled slightly and sighed, "Well, how can I help?"

"I'm just doing rounds," The doctor replied, unsure how to go about what would obviously be the next part of the conversation. It took Emma only a few seconds to notice Sara's frail figure laying on the cot.

"Oh my god..." She murmured, "She can't be any older than... 14. What's she doing here?"

"It's...a long long story," Hawkeye replied, "Short version, she showed up here full of bullets, decided to stay and I adopted her."

"She's... your daughter?"

Hawkeye nodded, "She's been sick with what we think is the flu, she's getting better though."

"That's...good I suppose." Emma muttered, "Wow, I heard the 4077th was a busy place but I didn't realize it was a soap opera."

Hawkeye laughed, "You have no idea, really," He sighed suddenly and looked fondly down at his daughter, "She'll be okay, come on, still more beds to visit, more patients to scare."

As the minutes passed by, Hawkeye and Emma Korton continued to check on the patients, and as they passed Hawkeye found himself becoming more and more smitten with the nurse, his worries of Sara seemed to fade a little. He had managed to convince himself that she would be alright and would understand whatever choice he made. At least she would be safe...


	6. Until We Die

A/N- Okay, we'll have happy things, for a while ;)  
Sara noticed an odd change in Hawkeye when she was finally free of bed rest and allowed to leave the quarantine ward. It was interesting, he seemed to her more lively and upbeat, the Hawkeye she had known before...before he had adopted her. Of course the girl didn't mind, in fact she rather liked having the old Hawk back, The slogan of the officers club had been unofficially changed to "Every Night is Ladies night at the officers club... except Mondays." So every Tuesday through Sunday Trapper, Hawkeye and often Henry would drag her to the club and get Mister Kwang to create some ridiculously new alcoholic, over the top sweet, colourful beverage for her to try. Because, as Henry had explained through his second banana daiquiri, his words slurring, 'The only resasons you gots sick in the fiiirst place was because you havunt drunk enough.'

"That's right Colonel, tell me how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Um hmm... 7?"

Sara looked at her hand, two, "Close enough, but I don't think you should have anything else to drink."

"Fair enough." Henry said with a sluggish shrug, "Where's Pierce?"

"Oh he's out stalking nurses." Trapper said with a playful grin as he downed the last of his martini, "Gotta love happy hour."

Heads turned as the door to the officers club opened to reveal a decked out Corporal Klinger. Sara had to hide a smirk beneath her hand, in the months she had been at the 4077th the young girl had never truly gotten a grip on Klinger's insane efforts to get out of the army, she was certain there were easier ways than dressing like a woman. Still, there he stood, in all his red evening gown cross strap glory, not the least embarrassed and looking quite handsome... or cute, which ever worked best.

"Nice dress Klinger." Sara said with a grin as the corporal sat down on a bar stood next to her and adjusted the strap on his shoulder.

"It's driving me insane," He said, "the stupid cloth is woven with metallic string, its so itchy!"

"Beauty is pain," replied Sara with a shrug and a small chuckle, "But honestly, you think this is going to bring you any closer to a section eight?"

"It will once I send this photo of me plus profile to Hollywood." He responded as he passed her a picture of him in the dress holding an umbrella, once more Sara had to suppress a laugh.

"How on earth is this going to help you?"

"The producer Im sending it to is a cousin of General Clayton, hopefully..."

"He'll get freaked out enough and ask his cousin to get you out of the army?"

"No, set me up in his next big picture, that'll get me out of here."

Sara thought about that for a moment and decided it was better not to question his plan and instead smile and nod, which she did rather too hastily. Klinger saw her wariness in his plan and pouted in disappointment.

"You don't think it's going to work?"

"Would you like me to be brutally honest or lie and be sickly kind?"

"Both."

"Well," Sara said slowly, "I think you're more likely to be arrested for stalking than get a section eight... at the same time you may be about to be married into a very good family."

Klinger laughed, "Yeah, not my best thought out plan is it?"

"Not really." Sara replied with good humour as she took a sip of her drink.

"So how are you feeling anyways?" The corporal asked suddenly, "You're looking better."

"Feeling a lot better too." Sara replied lively, "I think it was just flu or something, I haven't felt this great in ages," It was Klinger's turn to look uncertain, "Honesty," Sara smiled, "Geez, you and Trapper seemed convinced that I'm feeling like crap! Im not, really!"

Klinger laughed, "Okay, okay, just looking out for you kid, this dump would be lonely if we had to send you to Seoul or somewhere to get treated for whatever. Try to stay healthy okay?"

"I will," Sara replied as she stuck out her tongue at him and glared, "You need to relax just a bit, have a drink or something!"

They talked late into the night, Trapper didn't say much to either Klinger or Sara, choosing to instead remain silent and observe her in her surroundings. She was certainly content at the 4077th but did part of her long to be back home? He doubted it, if she did... maybe something proper could be arranged, at least it would give Trapper a little more time to convince Hawkeye not to give her up.

When the last light of day disappeared into night the officers club slowly began to empty of it's contents, slightly tipsy nurses helped enlisted me back to their tents (where the nurses would usually stay) Radar had come and managed to drag Henry back towards his tent and It was up to Sara to make sure Trapper returned to the Swamp without causing some sort of crime, he was of course not so drunk that he would do something stupid, but certainly drunk enough to be babbling on about nothingness.

"I wont let it happen..." He said through a hiccup.

"That's good Trap," Sara said as she rolled her eyes, convinced that he was merely rambling on about some small trivial thing.

"I'm serious.. I'll talk to the guy for ya..."

"Thanks Trapper."

"You can always go back and live with Louise... Cathy and Becky would love a big sister..."

"Thanks Trapper."

"Hawkeye's just being an idiot'salll..." His words began slurring together.

"Hawkeye does that a lot."

"He wouldn't really, don't worry about it, I'll talk to him."

By then they had reached the Swamp, Sara was relieved when Trapper slunk through the door and fell down on his cot. Hawkeye was already laying on his reading a book which was obviously concealing a dirty magazine.

"Woa, what happened to him?" Hawkeye asked as he sat up and looked at Trapper who was now half draped over his cot and appeared to be drooling.

"Need you ask?" Sara replied as she fell back onto her cot with a sigh, "Where were you all night?"

"Just showing that new nurse around."

"Ah," Sara grinned, would this be showing or "showing"?" She made little quotation marks in the air.

"I can't tell you, you're too young and innocent to be faced with such moral things like "showing" a nurse around." Hawkeye said with an evil smile as he too made the quotation marks in the air. "How are you feeling?"

"What is with everyone asking me how I feel?" Sara demanded angrily, "You're the sixth person tonight!"

"Really? Who else?"

"Klinger, Trapper, Radar, Henry, Hot Lips and surprisingly enough.. Frank."

"I'm right here you know!"

"If I cant see him, then he cant see me." Sara whispered with a low chuckle.

"So how are you feeling?"

"Fine, great! Grand, whatever. I'm feeling much better!" She sat up at raised an eyebrow at Hawkeye, "Why, is there something I should know?"

"Nope," Hawkeye replied honestly, 'You just looked so bad for a while and made such a quick recovery, Guess it's a bit shocking."

"Yeah, well... I guess I'm just growing immune to bad luck or something." She said with a laugh. There was a moment of silence, the loud crack of thunder overhead roared through the air as the sky became lit up with flashes of light.

"Great," Hawkeye muttered darkly, "A thunder storm, now we really will be in cold, wet, rainy Korea."

"Cheer up!" Sara said brightly, "It could be worse!"

The loud ripping of seams came from over head, both looked up just in time to see a patch of tent over Trapper's cot break, rain water came pouring down all over the man. He jumped and gave a yell as the water eased off a little but continued to stream down. Needless to say, Hawkeye and Sara were rolling on their cots in fits of laughter.

xXx

'Attention all personnel, incoming allied casualties. Both shifts report to the OR, it's going to be a rough day. A reminder that Corporal Devon Lex is looking for a partner for Waltzing classes in Seoul, its free ride girls! Also, as order from Colonel Henry Blake, please do not run in the compound, we've already lost two nurses to the mud people.'

Sara rolled her eyes as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her face, trapper was sleeping on his bed once again, a bucket was cleverly balanced on his stomach which was collecting the rain water as it continued to fall through the opening in the Swamp's roof. Frank and Hawkeye were already sitting up and pulling their boots on, Trapper remained unmoving.

"Hawk?" He looked at Sara who was motioning at the sleeping man, "What should we do about Trapper?"

The doctor sighed and walked over to his friend, Sara could quite easily see the wheels turning in his head as an evil idea formed.

"You're not going to-." But before she could finish the sentence Hawkeye grabbed the bucket and lifted it up, the lack of weight on his chest caused Trapper to sit up alert, before he could react, Frank found himself covered from head to toe by water, an empty bucket in Hawkeye's hand.

"Wow, did not see that coming." Sara said with a sly grin.

"What was that for?!" Frank demanded.

"I'm sorry Frank," Hawkeye said, "I just needed some way to wake up Trapper, he's allergic to water."

"So how is getting me wet helping to wake him up?"

"Well, you don't expect me to throw it at Sara do you?"

"Face it Frank, he just loves you too much." Trapper said as he jammed his feet into his boots. "Alright, it's surgery time."

Neither the doctors nor Sara knew what to expect when they opened the door to the Swamp and peered out into the world. The sky was dark, rain clouds blocked out the blood red sun that often shone due to the smoke from the not so far away fighting. Silvery white rain cascaded down in sheets onto the compound ground, leaving the once dry and cracked earth was now muddy and half black against the sheer rain and clouds.

"Oh... my." Was all Sara could manage as she gazed over the compound, "Do we make a run for it or what?"

"I think someone moved the camp onto a quick sand trap." Trapper muttered, "Im not sure running will help... at all."

"Well come on you scaredy cats!" Frank said with his evil mocking tone, "Or are you afraid of a little rain?"

"I'm more afraid of being swallowed by the pool of mud which someone has inconveniently placed outside our tent." Hawkeye replied, "Ah well." He shrugged and stepped out into the fierce rain and wind. He was swiftly followed by Frank, Trapper and Sara, all of whom were finding it a challenge just to move three feet, more than once Trapper had to grip Sara's wrist to keep her from falling back into the mud where she would undoubtedly remain stuck until she could be properly rescued.

Eventually they reached the pre-op ward, Frank was a few feet behind them, whining and complaining that no one was waiting for him, to make good on her constant teasing Sara waited patiently in the rain until he caught up. The ferret-like doctor gave her a grateful nod, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that she had actually done something reasonable.

The ward was full, completely and utterly full. It would certainly be a long day. This was what kept Sara going, the fear and adrenaline, the perfect imagery of human beings, no matter which side they supported saving others. They worked in the most difficult situations but still they pulled through...

"Clamp... God look at this kid, he's got enough shrapnel in him to make us two new sets of instruments," Hawkeye muttered as Sara passed him the, "There are bleeders everywhere, Lap sponge."

"Lap sponge."

"Hey Radar, how many more are out there?" Trapper called from one table over.

"At least ten more out in pre op, HQ said we could be expecting more in the next fourteen hours!" The young man said quickly from behind his white surgical mask.

"Oh thats just... Sh-." Trapper swore violently, "Clamp, hurry!"

"There aren't any clean ones!" the nurse standing next to him said swiftly.

"Sara, get over here, I need your baby finger!"

"Korton, help out Pierce!" Margaret snapped as Sara quickly exchanged her bloody gloves for a new pair and raced over to Trapper's side where he proceeded to (and quite unexpectedly) take his smallest finger and thrust it into the artery of the man laying in front of him who's blood had just been spraying everywhere.

"Geez... Someone get those instruments clean!" Henry snapped from the last table where he was assisting Frank, "And fast!"

Sara gave a shiver as she felt the blood from the man's clipped artery speed past her finger and back down it's proper line.

"You okay honey?" Trapper asked.

"Yeah, fine..."


	7. Little Things

_Dear Hawkeye, _

_Sounds like you're having some moral dilemmas, at least that's what I gathered from your last letter. Be careful what you decide to do, if you make a choice and change you're mind later on Sara might not be willing to forgive you. Don't let your ruffled emotions get in the way of what you have to do, remember, you made the right choice before by adopting her. _

_I suppose the weather has been sort of rainy now that October is upon you, good luck with flu season, I imagine you'll nee it if it's even half as bad over there as it is here. Enclosed you'll find a few random objects I thought might be liked around the 4077th and something of your mothers that I thought maybe Sara would like to have. Give my best to Trapper John, Radar, Henry Blake, Klinger (Is he still wearing dresses? Has he tried a mink stole yet) And yes, even Frank and Hot Lips. I look forward to your next letter._

_-Dad_

**xXx**

She was completely numb, it had taken Trapper a good fifteen minutes to sew up the jugular and get the bleeding under control. She had her finger jammed in that mans neck for fifteen minutes, it was a different experience... Not the same as simply getting your hands bloody from simply operating, no this was different, she could feel the cells roll past her gloved hand and down into his body, desperately trying to continue their circulation and not let the heart of the man fail. But man wasn't the right name for him, he was more of a boy, Corporal Christopher Everett, and he looked no older than eighteen. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice said that he was younger than that and had undoubtedly used some sort of fake identity to get into the army.

_'Why would people want to volunteer to kill others?'_ She wondered thoughtfully as she watched the Corporal, _'I understand the need to defend ones country... but isn't that what the other side is doing? So why are they the enemy and we're the good guys.'_

"How you doing kid?" Trapper asked as he continued the slow process of stitching up the wound.

"Fine," She replied weakly, "Better than him at least... what do you think happened?"

"I'm guessing a shell went off near his neck." Trapper replied, "That would explain the burnt skin around the wound, Ah.. Done." He knotted the silk and cut it off, clearly please with his work. "Alright Ginger, bed for one open here! How you doing Hawk?"

"Pretty good, my fingers feel like their swimming in a pool of metal though." Hawkeye called from his table, "I've got it under control though," He said, anticipating Trapper's next question. "Just keep the line going, Forceps."

The cormen brought another man to the table where Corporal Christopher had been laying only moments earlier, from that moment on everyone in the room worked like robots, many of the nurses were able to anticipate the doctors needs and hand them the instruments they needed before they even asked. That made the lines move faster but as Radar had said, more casualties did arrive and once more th OR was packed full and supplies were running low.

Time passed by slowly, Sara was relieved that she did not have to stick her finger into another man's neck, her hands felt weary after that, as if they were slowly melting away from her bones... This of course was all in her mind and she knew she had to refocus on the situation at hand, a man with lacerations to his liver and one bullet imbedded in the left ventricle, another with a leg half blown off from a close encounter with a shell, another and another and so the killing and death continued and so they worked like robots. They had no purpose except to fix those that were broken and send them out into the field once more.

She wasn't like Trapper or Hawkeye, or Henry or Frank. They couldn't lose it, they couldn't snap. They had to continue to work without thought or emotion to what they were doing, but she, she could leave. She could snap under the pressure, nurses did everyday, but she wouldn't be like the rest. The 4077th had given her a new chance and she wasn't going to throw that away, whether she found it disturbing or not, Sara would continue to work beside the surgeons and continue the never ending circle of war.

Those select few seconds they had to save a mans life turned to minutes and the minutes swiftly turned to hours and the hours rolled on and on and on...

"Sara?"

She was standing in front of an empty table, there was no more wounded, the scent of blood still hung in the air, death, that vial scent she could not escape even if she wanted to. Hawkeye was behind her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Im fine," She muttered, "Is that all of them then?"

Hawkeye smiled sadly at his daughter, "Yeah, it is... You did good today kid."

"Thanks." She grinned, or tried to but failed, "How long were we at it?"

"Seventeen hours," he replied, "thought we were gonna lose you a couple times, you looked like you were going crazy."

Sara laughed as Hawkeye led her away from the table, "Not yet," She threw her bloody gloves into a bucket by the door and began washing her hands, the right still tingling from the odd experience of being literally inside a human body. "You look worse for wear," Sara noted as Hawkeye waited patiently for her to finished washing her hands.

It was true, he looked exhausted, dark circles had formed under his eyes and he seemed to drag himself across the floor.

"Im just tired," Hawkeye explained as they shed their scrubs and pulled on the army issue jackets which hung on pegs by the door, "Didn't get much sleep last night,"

"Well you can zonk out back at the Swamp," Sara said with a grim smile as they opened the door leading out into the compound, "That is... if we can actually get back to the Swamp... alive."

"Once more into the breeches dear friends," Hawkeye muttered, "Remember, if you fall down and get stuck just lay on your back so you can get air."

"That's helpful." Sara muttered, "I think I'll just scream a lot instead."

"That works too."

The wind was against them, both their faces were severely numb by the time they reached the Swamp, the breeze had spun icy cool droplets of water into their body, soaking both from head to toe. Mud was cacked over their pant legs, if their jackets were pulled any closer they would disappear altogether.

"Geez, you guys look like you had a run in with a heard of buffalo." Trapper observed as he looked up from the magazine he had been reading.

"Close, Just a bit of South Korea," Hawkeye replied, "Want some?"

"My doctor said The war was dangerous, I didn't realize he meant war weather." Trapper chuckled as he leaned over and poured Hawkeye a glass of turpentine from the still, "The kid doesn't get any though, it's dangerous."

"I resent that." Sara said as she stuck out her tongue at him and sat down on her cot.

"I was talking about Frank, here's your glass."

"Oh, you guys!" Frank was sitting on his cot reading the bible, clearly annoyed by Trapper's comment.

"Please Frank, not around the lady." Hawkeye said, "Or Sara even."

"Now I resent that." Trapper said as he adjusted the bucket on his cot where rain continued to stream down from.

"Maybe we can ask Radar to put a requisition in for a new tent," Hawkeye said thoughtfully as he watched Trapper arrange himself so he sat around the bucket.

"Better yet, ask him to fill out the forms for a new war," Sara replied, "One with less blood or mud."

"You're a poet and you didn't even know it!" Trapper chuckled as he sipped his martini look-alike.

"That's not funny." Hawkeye muttered

"I wasn't trying to be."

"Stop it!" Sara laughed, "What time is it anyways?"

"Just about quarter past six," Trapper replied as he looked at his watch, "Do we want to risk our lives in the weather and go over to the mess tent?"

"We're risking our lives in the mess tent even without the weather." Hawkeye retorted, "I hear they're serving some old part of a chicken that has no specific use."

"How lovely." Sara muttered, "I don't know about you but I've just lost my appetite for the whole war."

"Come on," Hawkeye said as he stood up and placed his Martini glass down on a shelf, "Need to keep up your strength, the walk will do you good..."

"But the food won't help at all." Trapper finished.

They weren't wrong about that, the food was quite disgusting, after waiting in line patiently they took their trays and filled up on World War two surplus mashed potatoes, mysterious chicken parts, something that resembled creamed spinach and something that looked half burnt.

"I think my burned block of wood just moved," Trapper sad as he sat down in between Margaret and Radar at one of the Tables and poked the burnt food-like item with his knife.

"We're very fortunate to have this much food," Margaret said sternly, "You should be grateful for what you have."

"Grateful?" Hawkeye asked, "I can use these mashed potatoes as plaster for casts! This burnt thing which looks suspiciously like a charcoal briquette could be used to feed the fire back at the swamp!"

"Many people aren't eating as well as this," Frank said smugly.

"Well would they like my dinner?" Trapper asked, "Because I'm not hungry..."

"That's enough Peirce, McIntyre," Henry said with a tired voice from across the table, "Settle down."

"Henry, with that sort of command, how can we disobey you?" Hawkeye asked as he made a mocking salute.

"Colonel, They're mocking your position of authority!" Margaret snapped.

"As long as they put it back when they're finished." Henry replied, half asleep with his head in his hands.

Sara grinned and poked her dinner thoughtfully, Hawk and Trapper were certainly right, the food was quite questionable. Margaret and Frank were also right... They were lucky to be eating so well and so, with a willing heart but unwilling stomach she began eating, very, very slowly.

"We'll you're braver than me." Hawkeye replied, "Here Radar, this might help you grow." He leaned over and dumped the contents of her tray onto the Corporal's who was hoovering down his food faster than imaginable.

"That's not very nice." He managed through a mouthful.

"It never is." Hawkeye replied with a grin.

**xXx**

Several Days later

Trapper was on the night shift, His internal clock woke him up right on time, the sky was darkened, the raining seemed to have stopped, only a select few droplets fell through the open area over his cot, just slightly irritating. He yawned and looked over, Hawkeye was sleeping soundly, he needed it, he had been going on too many long shifts. Trapper turned to look at Sara who was sitting on her cot and reading quietly.

"Hey Kiddo," he whispered, "What are you doing up?"

"Can't sleep." She replied, "You going on duty?"

Trapper nodded.

"Can I come with you? It'll give me something to do."

"Sure thing," Trapper smiled slightly, "Better grab your jacket, it's probably freezing out."

She grinned and grabbed her jacket, after quickly stuffy her feet in her boots she followed the curly haired doctor out into the peaceful night. Not a soul moved in the darkness of the compound, it was quite possibly the most enjoyable time Sara had ever encountered while being in Korea.

There were two nurses in the post-op ward, One The young girl recognized, the other Trapper had pointed out as the newest victim of the 4077th, Emma Korton, the one Hawkeye had been pining for so much. Trapper moved right over to bed three where Corporal Christopher Everett lay, now awake but still clearly weak.

"Hey buddy, you're awake." Trapper grinned as he picked up the clipboard hanging on the bed frame, "You had us worried for a while there on the table, you're lucky we had someone with small fingers."

Sara rolled her eyes and shivered slightly from the rather sickening memory.

"What do you mean?" The corporal asked in slight bewilderment.

"Sara, stop hiding behind me," Trapper said, the girl gave an unwilling sigh and stepped closer to the young man, "We would have lost you if she wasn't there."

"Do I... want to know why?" He asked timidly.

"Not if you want to keep your supper down." Sara replied with a wary smile, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he replied slightly. He had deep brown eyes that bore down into Sara's soul, she felt her heart leap in her chest as he looked her over. "You're awfully young to be so close to the front.. Or even in Korea for that matter."

"You're stats are fine, I'll leave you two to talk." Trapper said, winking at Sara who simply glared at him. She waited till he was far enough away before replying to the Corporals comment.

"I could say the same thing about you," She replied swiftly, "How old are you, sixteen? Seventeen at the most?"

"Eighteen!" He snapped, a long pause followed as Sara stared at him with her icy blue eyes, he wasn't the only one with shocking features and the ability to read another's soul. At last he sighed, "I'm turning seventeen in just under a week." He replied glumly, "But don't tell anyone, I don't want to get sent home."

"Why not?" Sara demanded, "You're risking so much being out here!"

"I know that," He replied smugly, "But both my brothers signed up, I was going to be sent to a foster home so we forged a birth certificate and got me in to the force under the same command as them."

Sara smiled to herself, His story reminded the young girl of her own, The prospect of going to a foster home or orphanage had been the main cause of her determination to stay at the 4077th.

"Well what about you?" He asked suddenly, "You didn't tell me what you're doing here, I _know_ you're too young to be signed up."

"It's a long complicated story," Sara replied with a sigh, "Let's just say it involves an abusive family and an orphanage. I managed to convince General Hammond to let me stay here... Shortly after I got adopted."

"Wow," The corporal muttered, "Some story..."

"Yeah..." Sara murmured with slight amusement.

"Aw, geez. I haven't even introduced myself. Im Chris Everett." He said with a angelic grin.

"Sara Howard, or Pierce depending on who's asking." She replied as she shook his out stretched hand, "Welcome to the 4077th."

"Thanks," He replied, "So is that..." he motioned at Trapper who was a few beds over checking another patients condition.

"No, that's not my dad, good enough though. That's Trapper, he's one of the best surgeons we have here."

"Neato..."

"I have to go," Sara said suddenly, looking over at Trapper who was motioning for her, "I'll come visit you later... And don't worry, I won't say anything."

"Thanks." Chris said with a weak grin.


	8. Imaginary Friend

_A/N Some may have noticed since chapter five the chapters have been named after Chantal Kreviazuk songs... I do this alot when I cant think of good chapter titles, just so you know why most of the titles from here on in dont make ANY sense._

A few days later it was still cold out, the mud had frozen into deep ruts and holes, making it a challenge to move with haste through the compound when anyone needed to. Still everyone seemed to get by, the casualties had slowed, the fighting seemed to have relaxed, perhaps it was the weather or the lack of people to shoot at, but everyone was happy that they didnt have to stitch up anyone.

Sara was heading to Henry's office, she had agreed to meet Hawkeye and Trapper there after she had visited Chris (whom she had become close friends with) because of the two surgeon's having to give him their reports and the need for free booze. She gave a sigh and pulled her coat closer around her shoulders, clearly not wanting to head out into the cold October air. She shivered and stepped out into the blistering wind, in only a matter of seconds her cheeks became red and numb, she quickly walked across the compound, the sun was just setting, dim shadows danced around the ground in intricate prances.

She didn't notice the hand swiping out in front of her as she passed by the men's shower, someone grasped her wrist and pulled her into the shadows of the tent. Sara gave a scream and desperately tried to pull away but the man held her arm tight.

"Well, well. Sara Howard, we meet again."

The young girl gasped as her eyes fell on her attacker, His shifty little eyes were enough to tell her who he was.

"That's Sara Pierce to you Colonel Flagg, or should I say Mrs. Mary-Lou Partridge?" She demanded, "What are you doing here? Did your hound pick up the scent of a communist again?"

"I think you know what I'm doing here," The quite looney colonel said briskly, "I have to take you back to the USA."

"Didn't you try that already and fail miserably?" Asked Sara once more as she tried to shake off his tightening grip on her wrist, "Or has your ego not taken enough of a beating and you feel the need to fail again?"

"Don't you try to talk you're way out of this," Snapped the colonel, "You're coming with me."

"Right, as soon as I get my release papers from the looney house, go run around on the North Korean's side with pom-poms and Tango with Frank Burns! Let me go!"

"HEY!" Hawkeye, who had heard the commotion from inside Henry's office and feared for Sara, suddenly appeared a few feet from where the Colonel had dragged Sara into the shadows, "What the hell is going on?"

Sara quickly shook off the grip on her wrist which had lightened when Hawkeye had appeared and stepped swiftly away from the angry looking Colonel. Hawkeye put his arm defensively over her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You okay?" He didnt wait for reply, instead he turned back to Flagg who was looking fairly mad, "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"I'm here to take her back to the USA." Flagg replied smugly, waving a finger in Sara's direction, "And you won't be able to stop me this time, I wont fall for any more of your tricks."

"So you think attacking her is the only way to get her to cooperate?" Hawkeye demanded, taking a dangerous step towards the C.I.A agent.

"I wasn't attacking her!" Flagg retorted bitterly.

Hawkeye looked down at his daughter, "Did he?"

She smiled to herself, Hawkeye gave her a small wink, she knew what to do, "Yes, he did." She said, suddenly changing into a very scared little girl, "He just grabbed me out of no where!"

"Really?" Hawkeye said with his brow raised, "I'm sure General Clayton would like to hear about this..."

"She's a liar!" Flagg snapped suddenly, "Are you going to listen to her, a kid or me? A grown man."

"Grown man-child is more like it." Sara muttered, "Come on Hawkeye, let him do his snooping or whatever it is little men like him do when they aren't play tea party."

Hawkeye scowled at Flagg who was still standing in the shadows with his fists on his hips, there was an anger in his face that Sara had never seen before, he looked as if he was about to kill Flagg in anyway possible. For the first time in her life, Sara was scared of Hawkeye. She reached out and lightly touched his hand, "It's okay Hawkeye, Let's go."

He either didn't hear her or was simply ignoring her feeble plea to go, "You keep your hands off of her." He hissed, "I don't want to see you within five feet of my daughter again."

"Daughter?" Flagg asked, slightly bewildered, he pulled out a notepad and began scrawling things down while his beady little eyes shifted back and forth hastily.

"Come on Sara, we're going to talk to Henry."

Sara followed Hawkeye numbly through the compound, frightened to say anything or even lag behind for a single moment, Fearful that he would lash out angrily once more. They entered the outer office only to find Radar had his ear pressed against the door listening in to the conversation going on between Henry and Trapper in the next room.

"Glued your ear to the door again, Radar?" Hawkeye asked without the friendly gleam that was usually in his eyes.

Radar swiftly straightened up, "Well how else am I supposed to learn anything?"

Hawkeye shrugged and pushed his way through the doors, leading Sara with him who still looked fairly frightened by her whole ordeal.

"Hey, what happened?" Trapper asked suddenly as he looked up from his chair in front of Henry's desk and noticed Sara's frightened look.

"Oh we had a little run in with Colonel Quaky," Hawkeye explained as he moved over to Henry's class cupboard and poured out a bottle of something, pouring himself a glass and settling back into a chair. "Henry, did you know Flagg is back?"

"You're kidding?" The Colonel asked, "Great, this is all I need, Louise Parker or whatever the heck it is he goes by wandering the camp and making a mess of things."

"What's he doing back?" Trapper asked.

"Apparently trying to get Sara back to the US," Hawkeye replied, "And this time he isn't afraid to use force."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked with an eyebrow raised, "Sara, did he hurt you?"

"Just grabbed my wrist," She replied, showing the CO the bright red mark around her right wrist, "It's nothing, I think he's just getting desperate."

"Oh you think?" Hawkeye asked, "It's ridiculous, I thought all the paperwork was sorted out to let her stay!"

"It was!" Henry said defensively, "Radar! Bring me the..."

Radar was already in the room handing Henry a file folder, "Here's Sara's permission documents, all signed, Sir."

"Than..."

"You're welcome, sir."

"...ks Radar."

Henry flipped open the folder and looked over the stack of papers, it certainty hadn't been easy convincing General Hammond to let Sara stay, but in the end they had done it, so it didn't make any sense that Flagg was there now, all the papers were signed. Everything was in order! Radar would have pointed it out if something wasn't in order.

"Well I just don't know you guys," Henry muttered, "I suppose I can call General Clayton and..."

"Yes, that's good!" Hawkeye said, "Call General Clayton, do what you have to, we need to get the royal nut job out of here."

"Maybe our last prank finally made him crack," Trapper suggested as he took a sip of his martini.

"I think he cracked ages ago," Hawkeye replied, "We just need to make him fall apart..."

"So what do you plan on doing?" Sara asked as she leaned against the door frame before turning and pushing one side of the door open, "For goodness sake Radar, you might as well just come in, it'll be easier than giving the door a physical."

The young clerk blushed but nodded and stepped into the office, Henry just pushed his fishing hat forward over his eyes and lay his head down on his desk, "Well whatever you do, just make sure it isn't illegal, I don't need any of the General's on me for letting you two goons get away with something else. They always want me to court marshall you or put you under house arrest or give you life in front of the firing squad..."

"It's alright Henry," Hawkeye said, "We'll think of something... Im not promising that it will be legal though."

Henry made a shrugging motion with his shoulders and muttered something which sounded an awful lot like "lifetime in front of the firing squad."

**xXx**

In a matter of hours almost everyone at the 4077th knew of Flagg's appearance and all were counting on Hawkeye and Trapper to figure out some sort of scheme to rid the camp of this crawling, spying menace before he found a way to take Sara back to the US, whether she wanted to or not.

Sara didn't find the crazed Colonel much of a problem after Hawkeye had been so forceful in warning him to stay away from her, she of course was still rather unnerved by his outburst and nearly began crying once she had found Trapper alone and managed to explain to him what had happened.

"He's just looking out for you," Trapper had replied as he moved down the row of cots in the post-op ward and looked down at another clipboard, "But I see what you mean, I've never heard of Hawk getting so serious before in my life, either sober or not."

"He's been acting really weird lately, Trapper." Sara muttered as she followed him, "I don't know what to think anymore."

"Just let him be Hawkeye, he'll figure out where he left his head in a few days, I'm sure."

"I hope you're right..."

Sara had taken to talking more and more to Christopher Everett, next to Radar he was one person closest in age to her and she found they had a lot in common, both orphans, both wanting to get away from home, both in the same war but fighting for different things.

"I don't think you understand," She said one day as she sat on the end of his cot, "You're going around at the front giving these doctors their pay. You break what we repair, it's one never ending circle."

"We have to fight to protect our country," Chris explained, "Even if it means a few lives."

"A few lives?" Sara gaped, "More like a few thousand, we see guys come in everyday with their bodies half blown apart, and for what? Freedom that we already have? I see people come in here all the time, they aren't here to help the South Korean's, they're here to kill the people that go against everything we believe in. We have no tolerance for others, so why are you here? Is it really because you didn't want to go to a foster home or are like the rest of them?"

Chris pondered this for a moment, unsure how to reply, when he did Sara knew he was forming the thought in his head very carefully, "I don't know, I suppose im here to help the South Korean's... I'm here because I want the war to end..."

"Killing them wont end it," Sara replied sadly, "And then we fix them again, just for both sides to go off and kill a bit more, Imagine if we all just left... There would be no one to fix because there would be no one to kill."

"And what about you?" Chris asked quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"I can't go home," Sara answered sombrely, "If I do my god parents will find me, I'm just as safe here as I am back home. Besides, I couldn't leave my friends, someone needs to stop them from getting alcohol poisoning."

"Seems to me that your reason isn't much better than mine..." Chris said with a smirk.

"Maybe not," Sara grinned, "But you'd do good to remember who had her fingers jammed in your neck for fifteen minutes during surgery."

Chris chuckled, "You're right, I appreciate it, really I do."

There was an odd moment of silence before Sara looked at the young man, "So... when do you have to go back to your unit."

"Doctor McIntyre said I could in about five days..." He replied mournfully, "Now I'm not so sure I want to go back."

Sara grinned, "Well you don't have to..."

"Forget it, Im not telling anyone, and you promised you wouldn't either..."

"And I wont." Sara replied as she stood up from the end of the cot, "I'll see you later, I have go back to the Swamp before Flagg finds me."

"Flagg?"

"Uh, don't ask." Sara laughed, "it's a long and confusing story."

"I'll take your word for it."

Chris watched Sara leave the post op ward, something about the young girl amused him, she had a different way of looking at the world, much different then the girls back home, only worried about their make up and jewellery. Not Sara, she just wanted to get through each day alive...

He didn't notice as the shifty eyed Colonel Flagg approached him through the far door of the post op ward.

"Hello Corporal," Flagg said as he sat down on the edge of the cot, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you sir," Chris replied as he shifted his weight uncomfortably, unsure who this new man was or what he wanted.

"I'm Colonel Meyers," As one could imagine, Flagg had a fake id card to prove who he was, he quickly showed it to the young man before putting it away, and giving him a very stern look. "I'm going to be frank with you, I'm here from Regimental, It's my job to bring Sara Howard back to the USA, unfortunately her..." He cleared his throat, "Father, won't let me get within five feet of her to discuss the matter. I need you to try and convince her."

Chris choked back a laugh, "Are you serious? No offence meant sir but she's strong willed, I can't convince her to do anything... I barely know her!"

Flagg frowned, "Listen young man, Its important that she go home, it's not safe for her here... If you aren't willing to help then I may be forced to take actions against you."

"Because I'm not willing to betray a friend?"

"Her father... Her **real **father may have had communist connections. It's my job to root out the pinko's and the traitors and she may have some connections because of her fathers work."

"Well that's her business, not mine." Chris said bluntly.

"Young man, I can make your life very unpleasant if you aren't careful..." Flagg said in a dangerously low voice, "I have files on everyone, I have files bigger than McArthur's house. I have files on you that tell about the worm and cheese sandwich you fed to Julie Morgan in the first grade."

"Firstly, **sir**, it was worms and sand, secondly, no one forced her to eat it. So go ahead and do your worst, I'm not going to betray someone that saved my life."

"No... Tell me Corporal, How many candles are going on your cake next week?"

_'Uh oh...'_


	9. You're Not Alone

AN- Okay, I did some proofing, I hope this chapter is a a bit less hard on the eyes!

"Okay suction . . . " Hawkeye said as he removed another fragment from the stomach of a young man laying on the table in front of him, "This guy has got enough metal in him to make a new currency, Retract that for me will you Trap."

"When did they start using kids to store bullets?" Trapper asked as he complied, "Someone should tell MacArthur that it's unhealthy."

"You think he'll really listen?" Sara asked from one table over where she was assisting Henry as he stitched up a sergeant's lacerated artery.

"I don't think he can hear over the loud hum of all the medals he's won." Trapper said with a smirk, "Lap sponge."

"Really, can we please have some army conduct in here?" Frank Demanded from the last table.

"Military? Is that where we are?" Trapper asked, "I didn't join the military, did you Hawk?"

"Join? When the draft board came looking for me, I jumped in the ocean and tried to swim to England."

"You didn't make it?"

"I was swimming against the current," Hawkeye replied, "They caught me with a martini on a fishing pole."

"Colonel Blake!" Frank whined, "Can you please control these . . . these rats?"

"Careful Trapper, he may poison the still," Hawkeye said.

"We'll have to gnaw the photo of your mother a bit if you do that, Frank." Trapper replied.

"Colonel!"

"Okay you two, settle down, we've still got more soldiers out in pre-op waiting for a seamstress."

"How many more?"

"At least a dozen," Radar said as he stood in the doorway, "Colonel Blake, Colonel Flagg . . . er . . . Whatever his name is, wants to talk to you."

"Well tell him I'm a little busy. I'm wrist deep in this kids lunch."

"He says it's important . . . "

"It's always important to the CIA," Henry scoffed, "Where I was June 3rd, 1942 at 6:42 a.m. is important to them. I can't talk to him now, Radar. Tell him to go to my office and wait."

"Henry, are you sure that's such a good idea?" Trapper asked, "Knowing him he'll probably look through all the files and find a way to arrest half of the camp."

"Good point McIntyre, Radar, don't . . . "

"I won't let him look at any of the files sir . . . "

"...Let him do any snooping."

"Okay, I think we're done here, Trap wanna stitch this guy up?"

"Only if you stitch up Frank's mouth . . . "

"I dunno, that's a pretty big job . . . "

"Colonel!"

"McIntyre! Pierce! Lay off!"

It was only a few minutes later when Radar entered the OR once again, looking slightly more nervous than he did before.

"What is it now Radar?" Henry asked with a sigh.

"He says he's not going to wait, if you don't talk to him now he'll go to drastic measures."

Henry half sobbed and half sighed, "It can't be THAT important, Radar, tell him . . . "

"He says he has reason to believe Sara has communist connections."

There was a very long and very awkward moment of silence, the snipping, cutting and clamping in the OR ceased, Even under the white surgical mask everyone could still see Frank Burns grinning madly, he was finally getting his wish.

In complete unison everyone in the room turned to look at Sara who was smiling to herself, "Really? Communist you say?" Radar nodded nervously, The young girls smile broadened, "I think his uniform might be cutting off the circulation to his brain."

"He said your dad . . . er . . . your real father had connections . . . "

The smile suddenly faded from her face, she looked down into the bloodied body laying before her, determined not to let anyone see her emotions to the news.

"Sara . . . is it true?" Henry asked softly.

"I...I don't know." She replied meekly, "I never saw him very much, he . . . never talked about his work."

"Radar, Get the crazy Colonel out of here and in my office now!" Henry ordered, "It'll be okay," He whispered gently to Sara who had gone incredibly pale beneath her white scrubs, "We'll sort this out . . . "

"Ha!" Frank laughed loudly from the other end of the OR, "Didn't I say? Didn't I tell you she was nothing but bad luck, Didn't I say she probably had connections everywhere??!"

"Shut up Ferret Face." Sara said glumly as she gave a sniff and desperately fought back burning tears.

"I knew the minute you came here you'd bring nothing but bad luck! I KNEW there was some reason those commies filled you with bullets, I KNEW-"

"Frank, how would you like to surgically remove my boot from your butt?" Trapper demanded from the other side of his patient.

"Colonel!"

"Burns, Shut up and lay off of Sara."

"We wouldn't have these problems Colonel, if you just listened to me . . . "

"Frank, please!" Margaret said quietly, "Try to be reasonable!"

"But Margaret . . . "

"Frank, you're about to donate your body to science if you don't shut up now!" Hawkeye snapped bitterly, "Ginger, Scalpel, Come on people there are more wounded out there, this conversation can wait."

"Are you going to be all right kiddo?" Henry asked as he accepted a lap sponge from the nurse.

"Fine . . . " Sara replied quietly, "I'll be fine . . . "

**xXx**

She followed Henry, Hawkeye and Trapper numbly through the post of ward and out into the compound. The sun was making a feeble effort to shine through the thick grey clouds that hung overhead, her heart felt as grey and heavy as the sky. After five hours of surgery the young girl had left the OR in a rush, she quickly shed her scrubs and ventured outside where she threw up the little food in her stomach, nausea seemed to have settled down comfortably in the pit of her body, not giving the girl even a moment of rest. Klinger found her leaning against the tin walls of the Post op, crying silently into her hands, he assumed right away that she was upset because of the allegations made against her father but when he asked her, she simply shook her head and refused to reply.

Klinger quickly fetched Hawkeye who was still inside, he raced out to the spot where Sara was sitting and gently helped her up, "It's freezing out, you're going to get sick again." He flinched as his hand passed over her forehead, she felt warmer to the touch than she had before. He silently led her back into the post-op ward where he had her sit down on a cot for a few minutes until the colour returned to her cheeks, Henry and Trapper waited around patiently, Hawkeye knew it was better than to ask any questions.

"Are you all right now?"

She nodded slightly, "Fine . . . just getting a bit tired of Flagg sticking his nose in everyone's business."

_'I don't think that's the only thing you're tired of...'_ Hawkeye thought sadly.

"Come on," Henry said quietly, "We should go discuss this in a more private place."

"Does he have to come?" She pointed at Frank who was hanging out behind them, listening in on the conversation, ears perked in delight.

"He's second in command," Henry said sadly, "Sorry, but yeah, he does."

Sara gave a weary sigh, "Fine, let's go."

Hawkeye helped her up on her feet and the small group began walked through the ward with Frank trailing behind in his ferret like way, When they passed by Christopher Everett's cot Sara suddenly paused, "I'll be there in a minute," She replied, "I need to talk to someone."

Hawkeye exchanged a nervous glance with Trapper before nodding, "Don't be too long."

She waited patiently for the surgeons, including Frank, to leave the post op before walking over to Chris and staring at him with a curious glance.

"You told him . . . didn't you?"

"What?"

"Flagg, or whatever he's going by now, you told him about my dad . . . "

Chris shook his head, "No, Never! He came asking though, I told him I didn't know anything and I wouldn't betray you."

"Why?"

"Well he's knows everything already, he just wants to pin the info on someone so he comes off looking like the good guy . . . "

"No, I mean why did you say you wouldn't help him?"

"Well . . . " Chris said slowly, "As you pointed out, you did have your fingers in my neck for fifteen minutes," He smiled slightly, "Besides, the guy gives me the creeps, I know you don't want to go home . . . "

"He'll find something on you," Sara said sadly, "He always does, just because you didn't help him get to me."

"Yeah . . . " Chris replied slowly, "Well I'm not too worried, you just go deny it all or whatever you have to do to get the insane Colonel out of here."

"Thanks Chris." She said with a feeble smile.

"Anytime Sara."

**xXx**

"There she is! There's the communist sympathizer!" Sara was hit hard with the loud words as soon as she entered Henry's office, both Frank and Colonel Flagg stood at one side of the room looking at her angrily, Hawkeye and Trapper were looking slightly amused as they sat in two chairs in front of Henry's desk while Henry Blake was busy taking the lid off of his migraine medicine.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Colonel Flagg." She smiled and leaned against the door frame, "How have you been?"

"Don't you try to defend yourself!" Frank snapped, "We know all about you now!"

"Really?" Sara asked, still smiling.

"Yes really."

Hawkeye cleared his throat, "This Major idiot and Colonel Quirky are convinced that you're associating with the North Korean's, Trapper and I have been trying to explain that your ESP hasn't been working as of late and you haven't been able to contact the mother ship."

"They were supposed to pick me up ages ago," Sara admitted, "I don't know what happened."

"Don't joke around!" Colonel Flagg snapped as he waved a folder in her face, "I have it all right here, everything about your father and his association with the North Koreans."

"Could that be . . . because he worked at an aid station?"

Flagg squinted and looked over the papers in the folder for a moment before snapping it shut and tossing it onto Henry's desk just as the Commanding officer downed two pills with a full class of brandy. "There, it says it right there, He gave them aid and comfort, he HELPED them."

"Oh so he was a communist because he thought human beings didn't deserve to have their limbs half blown off?" Sara demanded haughtily, "Honestly, you are the most idiotic man I have ever met. My father, and I'll thank you not to step on his good name ever again, was in China when the war started, he moved to Korea to do research on the war while helping aid stations take care of wounded soldiers from BOTH sides. The bloody US of A claimed he was a communist and traitor and he was forced to move up to North Korea where his own people didn't want to kill him! My father died helping people fighting both sides of this damn war, what have you got to say to that?!"

Flagg glared at her for a moment before opening his mouth to reply but Frank spoke . . . Or more yelled, first.

**"COMMIE!"**

"Oh for the love of . . . Shut up Burns!" Henry snapped, "Are you happy Flagg? Or Klein or whoever the heck you are? You got what you wanted, she's not a communist, her father wasn't a communist, now will you leave our camp alone?"

"No!" Flagg snapped, "Young Lady, you have to return to the USA, your father had connections-"

"Connections?" Hawkeye laughed, "If helping save people is considered a connection then I should be locked away with the New York Mafia, She's fourteen years old, she doesn't have connections, I don't have connections. We're all here just doing the job that the guys at the front keep giving us."

"Yeah, why don't you go commie hunting somewhere else and let us do our job?" Trapper asked, "We're trying to run a hospital here, you know? Giant red cross? Medicine, knives . . . a lot of blood."

"You're so determined to go catch the enemy," Hawkeye pointed out, "We'll why don't you go take away all the guns? There'll be no one left to kill then we can all go home."

"Sara Howard has to-"

"Pierce, thank you very much." Sara replied smugly, "And I'm not going anywhere with you. Henry, could you please . . . " Suddenly she turned a very pale colour, she lowered her head and squeezed her eyes closed as if an intense pain had suddenly entered her mind.

"Sara?" Hawkeye stood up and gently helped her over to his chair, "Are you all right?"

"What's wrong with her?" Flagg demanded.

"I'm allergic to idiocy, what do you think?" She snapped angrily, "Henry . . . Please!"

"Colonel Flagg, I'm going to ask you one more time to leave," Henry said sternly, "If you don't, then I'd be forced to take such actions which aren't really actions I want to take but taking said actions might make you leave."

"Such as?"

"I'll call General Clayton."

Flagg glared once more at Sara, "You haven't seen the last of me."

"Too bad I wasn't paying attention to the first of you then."

He glared at her once more before stalking out of the office, Frank was still fuming and staring angrily at Sara who continued keep her head bowed as she tried to remain upright in the chair.

"Frank, go study malpractice for a while, would you?" Trapper said angrily as he checked Sara's pulse.

"Colonel-"

"Dismissed Burns."

"Are you okay, Kiddo?" Henry asked quietly as he stood up from behind his desk and walked over to her.

Sara nodded slightly, "Yeah, just got another wave of dizziness, I'll be all right . . . "

"Was all that stuff about your father true?" asked Hawkeye quietly.

"Yeah . . . it was." She replied glumly, before looking up and smiling weakly, "At least Flagg's gone now, right?"

"Yeah," Hawkeye replied, "Come on, Lets get you back to the Swamp so you can rest."


	10. Time

_A/N- Im going to be going over all the chapters in both Truth of Souls and Truth of hearts and make some changes to make them better. I won't update as often, hopefully when I do they'll be better written, better grammar, proper spelling ect . . . I also won't write at 12:00 p.m. which I do believe is a factor in how crappy the last chapters have been turning out._

She didn't want to talk to anyone, her mind was set on the accusations made by Flagg, even though he had left almost a week ago, Sara still felt withdrawn, her heart not into the work and war around her. She found herself occupying her time by laying in The Swamp and reading through an old journal, the only thing she had brought with her when she moved in. Memories flooded back in mournful waves, memories that she was certain she had rid herself of began to creep back, bringing with them the emotions she had long since forced back.

_January 4th, still stuck in this damned room, Amy came by with my homework, apparently Miss. Witome was asking where I was. Probably the only teacher that was actually worried . . . _

Yes, memories that should have passed by her long ago seemed to claw their way back. Trapper noticed this odd change in The Swamp Girl first, he was held aback by the fact that neither Hawkeye nor Sara seemed willing to discuss the issue. Hawkeye was simply falling in love more with Emma Korton, meanwhile he didn't seem to notice that his own daughter was slowly falling back into the state of solitary that she had been in when she first arrived at the 4077th.

Trapper knew he had to do something but wasn't entirely sure how to go about it, confront Sara? Confront Hawkeye? Ask Henry . . . no that was certainly out of the question, but something . . . Call in Sidney Freedman? He always seemed to know the right thing to say, but last time he was there Sara had refused to give him the time of day.

So Trapper decided to wait and watch and see what would happen, he would only do something if she stopped eating, or lost even more weight than she already had. As for Hawkeye, he was another case of wait and observe, if he did become more distant from Sara, Trapper knew he would have to step in. That was not the way a father was supposed to act.

The cold wind had come up once again, The flow of casualties seemed to have ceased once more and so Sara had been directed by Trapper to stay in The Swamp, keep warm and just try to get a little energy back. The young girl found herself playing poker matches with other 4077th hostages. After beating Ugly John, Trapper and Hawkeye out of fifty dollars each in poker they decided to let her go for a walk outside.

"At least then we can keep some of our money," Trapper muttered as she had pulled on her jacket and left the Swamp. She strolled through the compound, her headaches had ceased, along with the nausea, she felt more awake and aware of her surroundings than she had since getting the flu in the first place.

Klinger gave her a small wave as she walked by him, he was wearing a long fur jacket and matching stole, with giant hoop earrings and a tacky fake pearl necklace to go with it she barely noticed the bright red heels that he wore on his feet.

As she neared the middle of the compound, something caught her eye, An army jeep with two MP's in it and a familiar person just stepping into the back seat. Her heart leapt in her chest as she raced over to see what was happening.

"Chris! Hey Everett!" She called out, "Where are you going?"

He heard her and quickly jumped out of the green jeep, his eyes seemed to be clouded over by sadness, Sara suddenly understood what was going on.

"He found something on you . . . right?" she asked breathlessly, a wave of guilt building up in the pit of her already queasy stomach.

Chris nodded, "It's no big deal, I'm going to live with some friends back in the states until my brothers are given their discharges, better than a foster home."

"I'm so sorry," Sara whispered, "I never wanted this to happen to you . . . "

"Honestly," Chris said quietly, "I'm glad, what you told me about killing others, it really gave me a lot to think about . . . I don't think I could have gone back to the front after that."

"Really?"

"Yeah . . . " He replied with an angelic smile, "It'll be okay, you take care of yourself, all right?"

Sara nodded before leaning up and kissing the young man lightly on the cheek, "Thank you, for everything."

"I should be the one thanking you," Chris replied, his eyes shimmering with laughter, "I owe you a lot Sara."

"No, I think we're about even." She replied with a smile, "Go on, you'll miss your jeep."

They embraced quickly, "Maybe I'll see you back in the States one day," He said as they broke apart.

"I hope so . . . "

"Hey! Kid, Let's go!" One of the MP's shouted angrily, "We don't have all day!"

Chris sighed and rolled his brown eyes, "Take care!"

"You too!" Sara tried desperately not to cry as she watched him jump back into the jeep as it pulled away from the compound. One of her closest friends in this damn war, even if she only knew him for a few weeks, and he was gone because of her, because he wanted to help her.

'That's what loyalty is . . . ' Sara thought dismally, 'I'm not sure I like it.' She gave an exaggerated sighed and turned around, it was getting colder, the dark clouds were settling in, it was turning as dark as night.

"Hello Frank," Sara said less than enthusiastically as she entered The Swamp and walked over to her cot. Frank, who was laying on his cot reading the bible, looked up "Balderdash!"

"Really Frank," Trapper exclaimed, "We'll have to wash your mouth out with soap! I fold, how bout' you Hawk?"

"El foldomundo," Hawkeye replied with a magnified sigh as he slapped the cards down onto their makeshift table, "I've got a date anyway,"

"With who?" Queried Trapper as he tried to sneak away a chip from the pile of red, white and blue scattered around.

"Nurse Emma Korton," Hawkeye replied as he moved over to the still and began pouring some of the raw liquor into a wine bottle. "Hm, 6:38 p.m. is a very good year."

"The new one? Built like a brick hospital?"

"And twice as loaded," Hawkeye said with a playful grin as he corked the bottle and began the task of pulling on his boots.

"Oh, now that's disgusting!" Frank snapped from the other side of The Swamp, "You two run around all day and proposition nurses while the rest of us do real work! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves."

"Well I tried to malpractice all day but I was sued by far too many patients," Hawkeye retorted, "Besides Frank, the only difference between you and me are the number of nurses we go after. You stick with plain old Hot lips while I enjoy a variety."

"Oh, drivel."

"Really Frank, do you kiss Hot lips with that mouth?" Trapper asked as he put the cards away. Frank simply glared at them before turning his nose back into his bible and continuing to read madly.

Sara meanwhile, had laid back down on her cot and pulled the green blanket canopy down on the side closest to the Lipless Wonder in hopes of blocking him out. She pulled out the ratty old journal and carefully ran her fingers over the red leather cover, it was smooth to the touch, small indents and rips provided memories of what the book had gone through. Really, it was amazing that it had made it so far.

"Don't wait up," Hawkeye said with a grin as he pushed open The Swamp door, "See ya later, Sara."

She looked up and gave a feeble smile, "Have fun." Without waiting for a reply she fell back down onto her cot and opened up her journal to where she had creased the page a few hours ago.

The young girl was certain she heard Hawkeye give a dismal sigh before The Swamp door closed with a loud bang. She heard Ugly John give a mournful sigh as the chair he sat on creaked with him stretching.

"I suppose these's no chance of me winning any of my money back from you soon, is there?" He asked Sara.

She laughed, "No, not a chance."

"Right, Doesn't matter, I've got duty anyway. See you later Trapper, Sara."

"Bye!" the two replied in union.

Then there was the silence ringing throughout the tent, Trapper shifted uncomfortably as he sipped his martini and watched Sara out of the corner of his eye. She was oddly silent, she had been since Flagg had left, all the efforts to get more than seven words out of her had failed miserably. It wasn't the horror of war . . . That couldn't be the reason for her pain and far away look, something else, Trapper needed to find out what before she did something she would regret.

**xXx**

"Hm, this is nice." Emma sat across from Hawkeye on a makeshift chair and table in the supply tent, a cup of 'wine' in hand and a half-melted candle flickering in between them.

Hawkeye smiled in his special way, "Very nice, we should meet in the supply tent more often."

"Are you always so helpful to the new nurses?"

"I was raised on a helpful farm," Hawkeye said with a sly grin, "They fed me martini's twice a day, also high quality customer service grains."

Emma Korton giggled and sipped her wine, "Did you live in a stable?" Hawkeye nodded and smiled, he loved it when a nurse could play along, "I had my own stall with straw and a radio." "I hope they cleaned it regularly."

"I made sure of it," Hawkeye replied as he leaned forward, "Nothing but the best for such a High class Helper."

Emma laughed again, "So tell me, how's Sara doing?"

Hawkeye mentally gave a weary sigh and shrugged, "All right I suppose, she hasn't said much to anyone."

"It must have come as a bit of a shock to you," Emma said quietly, "To find out that her father was involved in such things."

Another shrug from Hawkeye, "Her business is her own, I don't try to pry into it . . . "

"So it doesn't bother you that her father was a communist sympathizer?"

"No," Hawkeye said bluntly, "Anyone who helped both sides by healing instead of killing is all right in my books."

There was a strange pause before Emma spoke again, "You're an odd person Hawkeye." She smiled slightly, "I think that's why I'm falling for you."

"Let's fall down together."

**xXx**

_January 13th, I made the biggest mistake of my life, talk about being scarred forever. I want to get out of here, Don't ask me why I thought this would work, I suppose it's the fact that no one would miss me if I did die . . . _


	11. Feels Like Home

_I suppose it's the fact that no one would miss me if I did die . . . _

Trapper had gone out for one drink at the officer's club, one drink swiftly turned to two and two turned to three and a half, still for some reason he wasn't getting drunk. And because he wasn't drunk he was quite capable of thinking about both Hawkeye and Sara and how they were acting. By the time he decided to head back to The Swamp he still wasn't drunk, his head only felt much heavier than normal.

'I'm a human bowling ball...' Trapper thought bitterly as he walked across the compound in the fading sunlight and opened the door to The Swamp. Frank wasn't on his cot, which led Trapper to believe that he was off practising mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with Hot Lips. He wasn't paying any attention to Frank's absence when the soft sound of crying reached his ears. He curiously walked over the Sara's cot where he found the young girl laying, tears were streaming down her pale cheeks, a small red book lay open beside her.

"Sara... what's wrong?" Trapper sat down on the edge of the cot and gently touched her hand, but she flinched away and continued to cry, not willing to share her dark secret with him.

"Come on... you can tell Uncle Trapper anything." The desperate attempt at light humour was met with a reproachful glare from the young girl before she turned her face back into her pillow.

"Sara..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Trapper." she sniffed as more tears fell away from her and sunk into the pillow.

Trapper sighed wearily and ran his fingers through his curly hair, "Listen," He said suddenly, "You need to wake up, kiddo. We're all right here willing to listen to you, one thing in your past isn't going to make any difference to how we look at you."

"That's why you think!" she sobbed, "One thing is all Im hiding isn't it? And now that's out in the open there couldn't possibly be anything else!"

"What are you talking about?" Trapper asked quietly, "Sara, is there something else you need to tell Hawkeye?"

She shook her head and sobbed, "Why would I? It won't make any difference, he isn't phased by a single thing, he'll just want to get rid of me even sooner!"

Trapper nearly fell back by what she had just said, how did she know about Hawkeye's dilemma? Had he told her? Had she heard? Was she just assuming something? "What do you mean? Hawkeye doesn't..."

"Don't tell me that he hasn't thought about sending me back to the US!" Sara snapped through her tears, "It's easy to tell what he's thinking, he wears his emotions like a nurse!"

"Sara, if there's something else..."

"There's always something else!" She cried again, "There's always something following me around!"

"You need to..."

Sara only shook her head, not allowing the man a chance to reply, she pushed the small red leather book towards him and continued to keep her head down, not meeting his eyes with her own.

Trapper knew that if he read what the book said he would be venturing much further into the young girl's dark past, something he wasn't sure he wanted to do... Curiosity got the better of him, so he opened the book to where a page had been creased, a splash of red along the bottom of the yellowed paper caught his attention, then he began scanning across the black printing.

_...I suppose it's the fact that no one would miss me if I did die... I'm getting blood on the pages... This is ridiculous, why do I even bother trying to hold on? There's nothing for me here or anywhere else. Who would have thought a pair of scissors could do so much damage..._

Trapper turned away from the pages, he felt nauseated by what he had just read, for a moment he prayed they were the words of someone else... but no. The words were very much Sara's. She still lay before him, her crying had since ceased, now she just lay on her cot shivering and trying not to break out in tears once more.

"Oh god... Sara..." the words fell from Trapper's mouth without him even realizing it, "You... you didn't..."

"I wanted to die... so badly." She whispered, staring off into the distance, "I wasn't to just disappear... I could never find a reason to hold on, when I came here I thought maybe there was one, maybe... just maybe I could get away from it all... There is none Trapper, there's no reason to keep trying when every day you see death after death."

"You don't have to give up..." He replied quietly as tears threatened his own vision, "There's always a reason to hold on, even if you can't find it."

The young girl shook her head, "No... you don't get it, If I hadn't come here... If I had died the first time around then there wouldn't be so much confusion, Hawkeye, you, everyone... I've only buggered up everyone's lives...."

Trapper gently helped Sara up so she leaned against his shoulder, she was as limp and nearly as light as a rag doll. "Don't ever say that..." He whispered as he put his arm around her shoulders and held her tight, "You're the reason the war is bearable, We all would have gone mad if you hadn't been here..."

"It doesn't matter, Trapper." She replied bitterly, "Everywhere I go... this will always follow me around... the memories I have will always follow me around... I tried... so hard to get away from it... I couldn't, I still can't."

"Killing yourself isn't the answer," Trapper replied, "It never was."

"I think... I think maybe it was, but now it's just a lost opportunity..."

_A pair of scissors to bring one persons downfall... I can't stay in this world, or even this house. I need to get out of here. I need to go somewhere else, be someone else. I wish I had a real home, a place where I could forget all this..._

"Don't..." Trapper interrupted, "You're so much better than that... Please don't think... or even try. It's not worth it, you've made such an impact here... People care for you here..."

"I think I want to go home, Trapper."

"This is home, Sara."

"It... doesn't feel like home." she whispered in reply.

"It feels like home to me." he responded as he held her in the silence, "Don't leave yet, you've got to see how it ends."

"What if I told you I know how it ends?"

"I'd say... things... and people can always change." Trapper replied, "Always, Sara."

AN- The chapter title is really very ironic, I wasn't even thinking about the song when I wrote the last part!


	12. Blue

A/N- Miss me?

Sara had cried herself to sleep, Trapper, who was still partially frozen with shock over what had just taken place gently lay her down on her cot and covered her with a blanket, He had noticed the scar on her wrist before but never made mention of it, always assuming that it had come from her abusive god parents. They had talked for a while longer, both still very unaware of what had happened.

"What about Hawkeye?" He had asked.

"What about him?" she had replied.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"No." she had said bluntly, "Not yet. Please... don't say anything."

"I won't." Trapper replied solemnly, he wasn't honestly sure if that had been the right thing to do. Sara clearly needed help, everything was so mixed up now, Trapper didn't know if he was coming or going.

"Honey! I'm home!" Hawkeye threw open the door to The Swamp, looking quite pleased with himself, and entered.

"Shh," Trapper said from his bunk, "The dwarf's asleep."

"No I'm not, I'm resting with my eyes closed." Came the muffled reply from the cot, Trapper was surprised she was speaking more than three words to Hawkeye, he was even more surprised by how calm she sounded.

"How was your date?" Trapper asked as he slipped the red leather journal underneath his pillow and away from Hawkeye's prying vision.

"Oh-ho, how was my date?" Hawkeye said as he fell back onto his couch, "Let me put it this way, L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see..."

"Oh god is he going to do the entire song?" Sara moaned from her cot.

Hawkeye stopped abruptly and raised an eyebrow in query, "What's bugging her?"

"Oh nothing," Trapper she said, "Just a bit of trench foot." He leaned over and whispered, "She misses that corporal Everett."

"I heard that!" she snapped in a suppressed way from her cot, Trapper looked at Hawkeye and gave a small shrug.

"So was your date really that good?"

Hawkeye laughed as he kicked off his boots, "Good and then some, amazing Trap, Beautiful, smart, witty, and Emma isn't all that bad either."

"That's nice," Trapper said as lay back down on his cot, his mind not really taking in what Hawkeye was saying. "Now leave me alone, I'd like to get some sleep before I go on shift."

It was Hawkeye's turn not to listen, he was humming a swing tune and pretending to dance around The Swamp with an invisible partner, dipping, turning, all the while a crazy grin plastered on his face.

"Would you keep it down?!" Frank demanded from his cot, he had returned an hour before Hawkeye, irate undoubtedly by something Margaret had said.

"What's wrong Frank?" Hawkeye demanded, "Oak leaves pinching again? We could remove them for you."

"Through you're ear." Trapper muttered darkly and he pulled his pillow over his head in an attempt at blocking out the noise.

"Are you aware you're talking to an officer of superior rank?"

"Don't be silly, Frank." Hawkeye said suddenly, "Two Captains against one Major, we've got the upper hand here."

"Plus one honorary General." Trapper said as his pointed over the Sara who now appeared to be sleeping once again.

"She's not an honorary General!" Frank snapped.

"Of course she is," Hawkeye replied, "We made her little paper stars and everything."

"Oh, you guys!"

"Was that really called for Frank?" Hawkeye asked in an offended voice as he lay back down on his cot, silence ensued and all four members of The Swamp found sleep.

xXx

"Scalpel."

"Scalpel."

Two days later the OR was packed once more, a group of Marines had tried to take a hill that up to this point been one of the main suppliers of casualties for the 4077th, this was another unsuccessful mission which had landed patients on the silver tables.

"This kid's belly is full of metal," Henry muttered sadly as he and Trapper worked on one kid while both Hawkeye and Frank worked alone, plowing through the patients as best they could under the gruelling circumstances.

"Maybe if we stopped fixing them, they'd stop breaking them," Trapper suggested, "Sponge, Geez, he looks like he's swallowed razor blades."

"Sponge." Sara handed him the sponge but refused to meet Trapper's gaze. There was a strained silence in the OR, It was difficult to take for all of them. Only the small whimper coming from Frank every time he made a mistake filled the room.

"Watch it McIntyre!" Henry snapped, "I sort of like my little finger, I'd rather not have it suture on to this guys small intestine."

Trapper's mind was somewhere else for the moment but he quickly straightened out, "Sorry Henry."

"That's the fourth time you're nearly preformed a very unnecessary operation on my very unwilling right hand, McIntyre." Henry pointed out, "Okay, give me some retraction here. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just have a lot on my mind." Trapper replied irritably, really wanting to shout out 'Hawkeye's daughter needs help!'

He didn't notice Sara quickly look up at him then back down, her bright blues eyes full of fear.

"Alright, table for one!" Hawkeye called across the room, "Come on Ginger, patient me up."

Nurse Korton was working at his table, it was almost funny the way she and Hawkeye exchanged flirtations over patients. _Hello Mister 3 medal general, you have sexy lacerations on your spleen! _Sara had to stifle a giggle as she envisioned it, Trapper must have sensed her sudden smile because he gave her a quizzical glance before coughing nervously.

"Alright, let's sew this guy up, Radar!"

Radar was, of course, already in the OR, standing behind the white curtain.

"There aren't anymore casualties sir..."

"How many more casualties-."

"HQ says that we're on a clean streak for a while, at least 72 hours!"

Murmurs of relief rose up from the crowded OR, Sara breathed her own personal sigh of exhaustion, although she wasn't actually required to work in the OR (And a certain two majors tried to constantly discourage it) she still felt the need to pull her weight around the 4077th by helping out in any way, shape, or form that she could but as of late... Well she had been feeling less like helping and more like laying down on one of the empty tables and getting fixed up in anyway possible.

Henry noticed the young girls pale face and gave Trapper a slight nudge in the ribs with his elbow, motioning with his eyes to Sara. Trapper was certain he knew why the girls was pale and weary and quiet and all of the things she was. He also knew that it was in her best interest for him to call Sidney Freedman but that would not go over well and Hawkeye would demand answers that were not Trapper's to give.

"Sara, meet me in my office once this shift is over." Henry said quietly as he stitched up the young man's bowels in front of them. "You too Trapper."

Curiosity caused the young girl to look over her shoulder and see if Hawkeye had noticed or heard what Henry had said. Apparently he hadn't, he was still whispering sweet nothings to Emma Korton. _I could kiss every inch of your bullet filled, yet sexy gallbladder,_ OR romances made her ill.

xXx

"Sara, take a seat." Trapper was rummaging through Henry's desk in search of the key to the Colonel's liquor cabinet, he was making an obvious attempt at avoiding her searching eyes as she sat down in front of the desk.

"What's up, Henry?"

"How have you been feeling lately?"

"Fine.."

"Henry, where's the good stuff?" Trapper asked impatiently, Henry only rolled his eyes and pointed to the filing cabinet.

"Really? Because you've looked kind of... tired, pale and stuff. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I think Im developing a case of anorexia..."

"Really?"

"Yes, I have absolutely no interest in eating the food from the mess tent."

"That's not funny."

"Who said I was trying to be?"

"Sara..." Henry sighed angrily, "We're all really worried about you, you haven't been you're normal self..."

"And what, pray tell, is my normal self?"

"Well.. Erm... I uh... Trapper help me out here."

Trapper, who was leaning against the filing cabinet, drinking a beer, gave a shrug. "I think what Henry is trying to stumble around is that you've looked extremely sick lately, and you've sort of gone back into your original quiet self like when you first came."

"And what's wrong with that?" Sara demanded, "Maybe I like being quiet and emotionless."

"I didn't say emotionless."

"No, but I added it in for extra effect." Sara sighed, "Look, I appreciate your concern but I'm alright, really, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm perfectly sane. I have all my bits in the right spots. I have a cunningly necklace made out of the metal you guys pulled from me months before, life is good, No complaints. I'm feeling fine."

"But-." said Henry.

"But-." said Trapper.

"No more But's, I promise you I'm okay."

"We'd like to run a few tests..."

"No! No tests!" Sara exclaimed, "I've been poked and prodded by doctors and needles enough as it is! It's just the flu..."

"The flu don't last this long," Henry pointed out, "You can't use it as an excuse forever."

"So get me a medical dictionary and I'll start with the A's and make my way down to the Z's."

"Sara... Please! Let us call Sidney Freedman in here..."

Sara laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

Before stopping and realizing that both Trapper and Henry were dead serious.

"You're kidding... Please tell me you're kidding."

"We're not."

"Forget it," Sara snapped, "No way am I talking to a shrink, never, ever, ever, ever, ever... Would you like me to go on?"

"Oh well please..."

"Ever, ever, ever, EVER." Sara finished, "I don't need a shrink, I just need time to.. To think!"

"Think about what?" Henry demanded.

"I don't know!" She replied angrily, jumping to her feet and suddenly feeling very frustrated by everything that had happened. "I just need time to sort everything out in my head!"

Before Trapper or Henry could reply, Sara was gone from the office in a grand huff, leaving the two men quite shocked at the young girls sudden burst of anger.

"Well?" Trapper asked as he sat down in her seat and sipped his beer.

"I'm calling Sidney, At least he can talk to Hawkeye, maybe Sara will warm up to him." Henry said, "You going to tell me what was in that journal?"

"Nope." Trapper sipped his beer again.

"Why not?"

"Because you'd never look at her the same way again."

"Ah..."

xXx

Hawkeye came back to the Swamp late at night to find Sara sleeping soundly on her cot, Frank was no where to be seen, probably playing doctor with Hot Lips, and Trapper was sitting on his cot, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Hey, where were you?" Asked Trapper.

"On a date with Emma," Hawkeye replied.

"You guys are getting pretty serious." Trapper observed quietly.

"I think she's the one, Trap." Hawkeye said with a playful gleam in his eye, "Honestly, she's so perfect, everything about her..."

"What does she think about Sara?"

"What?"

"Well, assuming she's the one, you kind of have to hope that she'd get along with your daughter, right? So what does she think about Sara?"

"Uh, I don't know, not really the sort of subject I press on someone, y'know? But I think they get along well enough." He turned and looked at Sara, who remained unstirring.

"She's usually still awake... Why are you up anyways? What are you doing?"

"Thinking." Trapper replied.

"Booze or women?"

"Neither."

"Men? Because you know Trap, I'm okay with that."

"Yes, Ironically enough, but I was thinking about you, and Sara."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Well I wanted a change of pace, Alcohol was getting to be a boring subject."

"And did you come to any masterful realization while thinking about us?"

"Yes."

"And what was that?"

"You don't know your daughter."


	13. Dance With The Angels

"What do you mean?"

Trapper knew he probably could have worded his thought much better, but it was far too late to think about that now.

"I mean," Trapper said, slowly forming the words in his mind before spitting them out, "Let's just think about it for a minute, you know her name, you know how old she is, but what else do you really know about Sara?"

Hawkeye fell back onto his cot and looked thoughtfully at Trapper, as if trying to find the hidden message in his friends comments.

"You didn't know about her dad," Trapper pointed out quietly, relieved that he had found an excuse to push the subject more. "So what else do you think you know about her?"

"Trapper, are you trying to make me not trust her?" Hawkeye demanded angrily.

"No!" Trapper replied, "But... I think it's time you sat down and talked to her about everything that's happened."

"Trapper, I appreciate all you're doing, really," Hawkeye said quickly, "But this is something that has to be between Sara and I."

"Looks awfully one sided to me." Trapper muttered as he rolled over on his side, away from Hawkeye, and shut his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing," Trapper muttered from his cot, "G'night Hawkeye."

"Night Trapper..."

xXx

"I don't know, they seem like such nice people..."

"That's why I need your help, Major Korton."

"I'm only a lieutenant."

"That could be changed very easily."

"I don't understand what you want me to do."

"It's very simple really..."

xXx

Frank Burns glared angrily down at his operating table.

"What's the matter Frank?" Trapper asked from his patient, "Lose your watch again?"

"Don't remember how to malpractice?" Sara asked.

"Hammered?" asked Hawkeye.

"This man is a North Korean!" Frank said angrily as he waved his gloved finger at the frightened young man who had not been put to sleep yet.

"Hmm very good Frank," Henry said as he peered into the gull bladder of an American soldier, "Ten points if you can guess his age without counting his rings."

"Colonel! I refuse to operate on a North Korean!" snapped Frank.

"Smart thinking Frank," Hawkeye said, "Who knows where that North Korean's been?" He made a comical gagging sound behind his mask.

"Could it be... North Korea?" Sara guessed.

"Congratulations young lady, you've just won yourself a hernia!"

"I'll put it with the collection."

They had been operating for three hours, forty-two minutes and had only closed up four soldiers. A hill had been hit fairly hard and the 4077th had gotten both allies and enemies, all wounded in some way or another. The POW that Frank was standing over had several broken ribs and three fairly deep wounds on his right leg that needed to be stitched along with two bullets in his shoulder, he was one of the luckier cases.

"Colonel!"

"Frank, just operate on the kid." Henry said angrily, not wanting to argue with Ferret Face anymore than necessary.

"No."

"Oh for the love of..." Hawkeye muttered at his patient, " Here, Frank, you close up, you can do that can't you? I'll fix your patient. God forbid you actually practice some kindness for once in your miserable life. Come on Sara, you're going to assist."

They swiftly exchanged their bloodied gloves for new ones and stepped over to the second table where a young Korean man lay, still awake, looking fairly frightened and unsure about where he was.

"Don't worry, kid." Hawkeye said soothingly to the young man, "We'll get you fixed up, then Frank can toss you over the lines. In a matter of days we'll repair you again."

"You're lucky he can't understand you," Sara pointed out, "He'd be even more scared than he already looks."

Hawkeye grinned, "Alright Ginger, Let's put him under and get him fixed up before Frank decides that he doesn't even want to work in the same room as a North Korean..."

"Well..." Frank said from his table.

"No, Frank." chorused Trapper, Sara and Hawkeye, they exchanged strange glances as if to say 'Well that was weird'. As the general anaesthesia mask was being placed over the young man's mask, his eyes widened in fear, swifter than any of the surgeons or nurses could react, he had a scalpel in his hand and was off of the operating table, the silver blade held to the nearest nurses neck....

Sara.

"Woa! Jesus!" Trapper exclaimed, nearly dropping the blade he held over his patient.

"Oh good grief, not again." Henry muttered.

"Someone get a sedative ready!" Hawkeye shouted, "Sara are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine." She replied simply, "But I have to admit, the knife to my neck is a little unnerving."

"Does anyone here speak Korean?" Hawkeye demanded.

"This is why I don't like operating on the enemy!" Frank said smugly.

"Frank, keep your smarmy comments to yourself!" Hawkeye snapped angrily, "Come on, someone has to speak Korean around here."

No one did, no one made any effort to move closer or away from the North Korean, they were all frozen to their spots. Sara seemed mildly amused by all the was happening and not scared or worried by any of it. The young North Korean began shouting violently in his native tongue, his seemingly harsh words fell on deaf ears as no one could really understand a single word he spoke.

"Will someone get him on to a table?!" Henry demanded, "We've still got patients out in Triage and we can't bring them in with him brandishing a knife every which way!"

"Okay, just calm down." Hawkeye lowered his voice and calmly made a few short steps towards the North Korean, "No ones going to hurt you, we're going to patch you up... That's why I took the case instead of Frank, it's okay-."

"Hey!"

"Will you relax, Frank?" Trapper said angrily from his patient, "He can't understand english."

"Well I don't want my reputation tarnished."

"God forbid you actually save someone while you're over here," Sara muttered, the North Korean said something to her and forced the blade closer into her neck, but not so much as to actually break the skin and risk injuring her.

"Come on, put down the knife." Hawkeye said, regaining his composure once again, "_Please_ put down the knife?"

"I don't think he understands 'please' in English." Trapper pointed out.

"Well he should," Hawkeye replied bitterly, "It should be a universal word, everyone should understand 'please' and 'thank you' for that matter."

"As interesting as this conversation is," Sara said quickly, "I don't feel the scalpel getting any further away from my jugular and I'm pretty sure I need that intact."

"Trapper, fill up a needle with anaesthesia and pass it to Sara's free hand," Hawkeye said, trying to sound as calming as he had a moment earlier as not to raise suspicion, "Sara, on the count of three, you get him in the leg with it, we'll get his arm away."

"Wonderful plan," Sara muttered as she felt trapper press the needle into her free hand, "I hope it works."

"That makes two of us," Hawkeye replied, "Ready?"

"Oh of course," she grinned, "Stab and duck, I'm sure I've got it. Don't worry, if I mess up we can always try again!"

"Aren't you little Miss Positive..." Hawkeye muttered, "One... Two... Three!"

Sara quickly twisted her head and neck away from the blade as she jabbed the needle into the North Korean's leg, he gave a shout and looked pained for a moment as Trapper pulled the scalpel from his hand with a comical "yoink", the next moment he was flat on the operating table in a dead sleep.

Hawkeye stepped over to Sara who looked quite relieved (and a little faint) and check her neck, there was the smallest of cuts where the scalpel had begun to dig in, but nothing to worry about.

"Go back to the Swamp and get some rest, you look dead tired."

"Yeah, it's been a crazy day." Trapper looked at her quizzically over his white surgeon's mask

xXx

"How much sump could a sump pump pump if a sump pump could pump sump?"

"I don't know, how many martini's can you down without making a complete fool of yourself?"

"Less than one." Hawkeye downed the last of his drink and rubbed his eyes, "God this was a long day."

"You look a little stressed," Trapper observed from across the round bar table in the officers club, "Want to share?"

"Not really..."

"Penny for your thoughts,"

"Thats not very much."

"Yes, we'll you're drunk so I'm really not expecting very much." Trapper grinned as his took another swill from his martini.

"I'm just worried..."

"About Sara?"

"Sort of," Hawkeye admitted, "She's been acting pretty strange since that incident with Flagg, I'm really... I don't know..."

"Worried? Scared? Petrified? Confused? Bemused? Thoughtful?"

"That about covers it."

"Well," Trapper sighed, "Maybe it's time you actually sat down and talked to her about everything that's happened, it can't be easy for her you know, I think you'd both do good to talk about your feelings..."

"When did you become Sidney?"

"About three martini's ago," Trapper replied, "I'm serious, Hawkeye, just talk to the kid."


End file.
